


Runecaller

by JavelinStrike



Series: Runecaller [1]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Blood and Violence, Explicit Language, F/M, Female Apprentice (The Arcana), Implied/Referenced Torture, Psychological Torture, The Arcana (Visual Novel) Spoilers, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-04-06 05:24:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 177,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19056088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JavelinStrike/pseuds/JavelinStrike
Summary: Almost a year after the events with the Arcana ends, things aren't what they seem.  The one time apprentice of Asra is having trouble with new magic powers she cannot control. A stranger seeks her out for his own purposes. Adventure awaits!





	1. Casting the Runes

**Author's Note:**

> Begins almost a year after The Arcana ends. Spoilers in story. OC x Julian. She/Her.
> 
>  
> 
> *Apologies for the odd formatting at the very beginning. I've tried to fix it and it's not working*

Chapter One

_Drip._

  
She reached out her hand. Fingers reaching for something just beyond their length.

  
_Drip._

  
“Can you feel it?”

  
The voice was close beside her, warm and familiar. She felt as if she had heard it her entire lifetime. It no longer intruded on her concentration, and she let it carry her forward.

  
It was just....there. So close.

  
Just beyond her fingers, like a thin veil of color, just out of her reach. Around her, she could hear water dropping, as if in a cave. She reached a little further.

  
It was as if she should be able to _grab_ it, just reach out, and...but she had to go slowly. Magic couldn’t be rushed. It couldn’t be bullied.

  
She was sure to get it this time.

>  
As she watched though, eyes closed, the pulsing colors, just beyond her fingertips, seemed to start receding, pulling back away from her.

  
_No._

  
Desperation welled up inside her, and she made as if to lunge, to leap. Hands spread, her fingertips seemed to contact...something. Soft and pliable, soft trails of light extending from where her fingertips grazed it.

  
“Sabrina, wait!”

  
Suddenly the soft glow turned into a crimson flare, and pain shot through her fingers, scalding as if right down to the bone.

  
With a pained gasp, she yanked back her hand, opening her eyes.

  
Everything fell away. The soft dripping sounds, the light blue glow that surrounded her like water. Distorted, her surroundings flowed back into focus.

  
She stood in the middle of a large circular room. The floor was stone, faint lines carved into it in the shape of runes, arranged in a circle around a central area, where she stood. Water lay within the shallow channels, flickering back the firelight from the numerous candles dotting the room. Brightly colored curtains hung on the walls, rumpling to the floor in some places.

  
Beside her, a youngish looking person stood, watching concerned. Not much taller than the woman, his hair was thick, and shockingly white. Unruly and somewhat messy, it fell forward into his face, obscuring his odd lavender eyes to a degree. The vivid scarf he wore over a shoulder seemed alive in the low light, the gold fringe on one side swaying slightly with each motion. His skin was a pale dusky color.

  
The woman who stood before him, gazed at him, an equal mix of frustration and despair in her hazel eyes. Light copper color hair pulled back from her face with a black ribbon, the curls in her hair tight and small. Her hair hung to her shoulder blades. Her skin was dotted with a few freckles, and a small scar on her chin. As she looked at the man before her, a single strand of tightly curled hair slipped forward into her face. Angrily, she blew it aside.

  
“Damnit.”

  
She turned, and walked away from the center of the room, from the one watching her. She moved swiftly towards a table set up with a pitcher and glasses. Condensation beaded on the outside of the pitcher, ice cold water waiting inside. As she reached for the pitcher, she felt the soft whisper of magic around the glass container, the spell keeping the water cold still active. Ignoring the pain in her fingers, she poured herself a glass of water. The glass trembled faintly.

  
Behind her, he stepped forward, clearing his throat, “Sabrina-“

  
Taking several huge gulps of the water, almost angrily, she turned, glaring at him, emotions warring on her face; anger, frustration, fear...

  
“I _know_ , Asra, I _know_. I lost my concentration. I should have been more focused. I shouldn’t have tried to move too fast, to push too far.”

  
A faint amused smile moved over his face as he joined her at the table, pouring himself a glass of water, “Then why didn’t you?”

  
Another angry huff, blowing the errant strand of hair out of her face again, “Because I...I..”

  
Asra waited. His eyes moved from her face, down to her hands, and he suddenly blinked, “Your hands.”

  
Blinking, she looked down at her hands. Her fingertips were a brilliant red, angry and starting to swell slightly. Only now did the pain really register.

  
“You burned your fingers,” he said, frowning. Taking her glass from her, he laid it on the table. Picking up the pitcher of water, Asra reached across and grabbed a bowl.

Carefully pouring out the water, he held out the water, indicating she was to dip her fingertips.

  
Sabrina looked into the water, now glaring at it, as if it were the cause of her trouble. She hissed slightly as the cold water met her burned fingertips, “Because I’m _scared_ , Asra. It’s getting worse, not better. You’re supposed to get _better_ with practice, not worse.”

  
There was a pause. Asra shifted faintly, watching her. The water reflected the candlelight off their faces, soft flickers of light. He thoughtfully gathered his words before speaking.

  
“And your runes?”

  
Sabrina, shook her head, not answering just yet. She shuffled her feet, small boots clicking faintly on the stone floor. She lifted her head, and looked around the large room.

  
“The Countess set you up with quite the training school here, didn’t she? You have, what, two new apprentices now? Training magicians for Vesuvia. Court Magician. It suits you.”

  
Asra said nothing, just patiently gazed at her, waiting.

  
Sabrina continued, not meeting his eyes, gently moving her fingertips in the water, “No, really. I hear you’re still taking off now and again to go jaunting all over the place, learning new magics and the like, but I’m glad you agreed to do this. You have all this to keep you occupied. Vesuvia will one day have a whole army of magicians to keep it running!”

  
More silence, as Asra waited.

  
After a moment, Sabrina sighed, and cast a disgusted look at the other magician for a moment, before wilting.

  
“I’m still _doodling_ , yes. Doodling those unknown, _weird_ runes. I don’t even know I’m doing it half the time. I get distracted, thinking about something mundane, like....like what to start making for supper...and the next thing I know, I’ve made a rune in the table. With a knife, or a pen, or...or....”

  
She sighed, “Julian’s started laying paper all over the house, little piles of it. He thinks I haven’t noticed, but I know what he’s doing...he’s....he’s trying to give me something to write _on_ , instead of the house itself. If a paper catches fire, or...or explodes, or...whatever it’s going to do...it’s not half as dangerous as the front door, or...or the closet, or...”

  
Sabrina tiredly rubbed her face with her hands, leaving water on her face, “When he came home to find me trying to put out the chopping table with my cloak... his _face_. He just picked the whole thing up, and threw it out into the street to burn.”

  
She eyed him, “He’s scared, Asra. He won’t admit it, but he’s worried. _I’m_ worried.”

  
Sabrina turned to face him fully, “Why am I doing this? What’s going _on_ with me?”

  
Asra sighed, shaking his head. His eyes slid to one of the closest candles, “I...I don’t know. But we’ll figure it out, Sabrina. I promise.” Taking ahold of her wrist, he quietly scanned her fingertips.

  
“Is my magic changing? Can it do that?”

  
Lavender eyes moved back to her face, and he nodded, “Oh, yes. Magic is fluid. It flows and ebbs, you know this. You’re one of the strongest magicians I know. You know how it moves-“

  
“Yes, but can it change? It feels....I don’t know...different to me now.”

  
“Different, how?”

  
Sabrina made a vague motion with her dripping fingertips, then sighed, her shoulders falling slightly, “I don’t know how to explain it. It just feels...off, somehow. Almost like it’s not mine anymore. Can you...can you teach me how to control the runes?”

  
Watching the look cross his face, she pressed on, “If this is how my magic is changing, Asra, help me control it. I don’t want to be a threat to myself, or Julian, or my house!”

  
Asra gently let go of her wrist, “Do you want me to wrap your fingers?”

  
“Asra-“

  
“I can’t teach you what’s not mine,” he said, meeting her eyes, “The runes you’re using...I don’t recognise them. They’re completely new....they’re personal to you. You’re creating them as you use them. It’s like a...”

  
Asra waved his hands around as he sought to explain it better. Eyes moving around the room, seeking help from any corner, his gaze suddenly fell on a plate of pastries laying to the side.

  
“Pastry.”

  
Sabrina blinked, “Pastry?”

  
_“Yes, pastry!_ ”

  
Asra crossed the floor towards the smaller table that had a plate of the smaller pastries laid out. He picked one up, and turned, pointing it at her, looking oddly proud of his comparison.

  
“My magic is sugary, fluffy, and full of lard.”

  
Asra laughed, walking back to stand before her, _“No_! But each recipe is _different_. The person who made these...if I made these, even the _very same kind_...would be different. I might use a different recipe. I might use a little more sugar than someone else, or less flour. My pasty wouldn’t be wrong...but it wouldn’t be anyone else’s.”

  
Sabrina huffed faintly, “So you _can’t_ help me.”

  
The smile slid from his face for a second, before reappearing again, “I can’t help you the way you _want_ me to. I can’t teach you anything about your magic. But I will help you control it. I’ll show you some exercises so that you’ll be more aware when you start to draw them again. I think the problem is that you’re doing it when you’re not aware, so you can’t control it. And uncontrolled magic is dangerous.”

  
Sabrina nodded.

  
“For now...” Asra smiled at her, “I think you might want to get ready. We’ve spent a lot of time here today.”

  
Frowning, Sabrina turned, looking towards the marked candle on the table. The tall, thick candle stood in the middle, black lines running equidistantly down it’s length. The candle had burned down close to a thick black line, wax pooling over the edge.

  
“Is that....” her eyes widened, “The _fourth mark! I’m going to be late!_ ”

  
Turning, Sabrina almost crashed into the table before, bumping it hard enough to send water sloshing out of the pitcher and onto the floor. Angling around it, she dashed towards the door, grabbing up her cloak as she went.

  
“I’m sorry, I have to go, I want to be there, see how it goes, and if I-“

  
“Go,” Asra laughed, “And give him my regards.”

  
With a grin, she batted aside the curtain that covered the door to the training room, and was gone.

 

Her feet flew down the cobblestones as she rounded corner after corner. She could have asked for a carriage at the palace, but by the time one was brought around for her, and she gave the instructions....it was faster to just run.

  
Besides, she knew shortcuts.

  
Sabrina ran down one street, suddenly slipping into an alley. Running to the back, jumped, grabbing onto the top of a wooden fence. Hissing in pain as her burned fingertips met the rough wood, she hoisted her short frame up onto the fence, rolling over the top and dropping to the other side, landing in someone’s back yard. Keeping low, she snuck through the backyard, trying not to step on any carrots or turnips growing, and slithered out through a second gate.

  
Bursting back out onto the street, she dodged a horse pulling a wagon, ignoring the annoyed shout from the driver, and slowed to a walk. Sabrina moved towards the front of an older building, double doors opened to allow people entry.

  
Tugging her clothing back into a more respectable form, Sabrina reached up and pulled the ribbon from her hair, letting the length fall back around her shoulders as she walked up the few stone steps, and slipped inside.

  
In the foyer, bright banners and ribbons were hung on almost every surface. Lanterns lit the room brightly. Despite it being sunny outside, the old stone building was dark and a little cool inside. The carpet was well worn, an image of what appeared to be two people swordfighting.

  
In the distance, voices.

  
Quietly, Sabrina moved towards where two large archways led into darkness. It was here the voices were coming from. Raised in pitch, they sounded young, high and pure.  
Ducking past the heavy curtain, she stood in place, letting her eyes adjust.

  
Before her, the room she was in was largish. The floor angled downwards in a shallow decline. Chairs were bolted to the floor, arranged in three groups, five to a row. Lanterns along the walls were lit, but kept low.

  
People were sitting in the chairs, down by the front, near the bottom of the decline, where a large stage was set up.

  
On the stage, several people were performing.

  
Walking forward, her boots quiet on the worn carpet, Sabrina cast her eyes over the actors.

  
They were all young, the oldest being possibly 12, the youngest, 8. Their costumes were well made, if plain, and fitted all but the youngest quite well.

  
The oldest, a blond, was waving around what looked like a thin sword. His voice was strong and pure, and he spoke his lines aloud perfectly. Occasionally he would turn, or wave his arms with a flourish, that looked familiar to Sabrina, bringing a smile to her face.

  
The smallest boy seemed nervous of it all, eyes wide in his small face, and he kept looking towards the small group of people gathered in the front chairs. Now and again he would stumble over his lines, and his face would turn crimson. The older boy would nod encouragingly at him, once feeding him his line in a whisper.

  
Her eyes moved over the people gathered at the front of the room, seated, watching the performance. A few minutes later, she found her target.

  
Standing aside from the others, a tall, slender form, leaning against a wall, arms crossed. In the low light, his pale skin seemed even whiter, in amazing contrast with his dark shirt. Wide sleeves almost bellowing from the shoulders to the cuffs. His long legs were crossed at the ankles, black gloves of what looked like leather fit his hands neatly.  
Smiling, Sabrina watched as all his attention was focused on the stage before him. Occasionally his long fingered hands would twitch, as if he was about to move, thin lips moved, mouthing the lines one or the other young actors would read. He had an aristocratic face, long jaw, long nose. Dark hair in loose curls hung messily around his face. Even more striking was the black eyepatch covering his right eye.

  
Still moving quietly, she walked up to him, and slid under his right arm, slipping her arms around his waist.

  
Jumping slightly, one grey eye widened as he looked down at her, before a smile formed on his face. He turned his gaze back to the stage, right arm slipping around her waist, hand resting comfortably on her hip.

  
“How’s it going?” she whispered.

  
“Splendid!” he whispered back, “It’s going without a hitch. Joseph is a natural. Obi, on the other hand...”

  
Sabrina watched as the smallest boy stumbled over his lines again.

  
“Obi needs to calm down,” the tall man spoke gently, “he has the gift, but he’s too self conscious.”

  
“He’s doing wonderfully, Julian.”

  
Sabrina rested against him – the top of her head just met the top of his shoulder, resting her hand atop his, and watched the rest of the play.

  
During one of the more aggressive scenes....the main cast battling with a paper mache dragon, she glanced up at the man’s face as he watched. His eye fixed on the play, body twitching slightly in time with the actor’s extravagant motions.

  
Sabrina smiled fondly.

  
Julian never seemed to tire. He had more energy than anyone she knew. They had moved in together, living above her small store. He had purchased the building next door and opened a clinic, eager to get back into practice now that his life was back to normal. Occasionally they would go to sea with his family. Sabrina enjoyed both the adventure, seeing new and distance lands, and being able to gather exotic herbs and spices to sell in her store.

  
The neighbourhood children adored Julian. They would clamber around him, sometimes seeming like a king with his own personal retinue. He knew their names, their families, the names of their pets and friends. Which ones enjoyed learning, which ones enjoyed sports. He was quiet with the quiet ones, and rowdy with the rowdy ones.

  
He would weave stories of the lands he had visited, the swashbuckling adventures he had had....watered down and less...mature versions, of course. Knowing some of the children came from less well to do families, he would always bring them small gifts from his travels, whether a distant island, or just over the county. Sabrina saw him reinacting his own childhood with them, no longer the child, but now the adult. She found it fascinating that someone as rowdy as Julian, someone who enjoyed cheap taverns and getting into trouble as much as he did, had such a strong drive towards children.

  
One evening they had been tucked in bed together, Julian’s long frame curled under the blankets, and he had spoken of his desire to do something for them. To give them something to do other than just day to day survival. Her suggestion of renting the small theatre in the city and seeing if there was an interest was met with wide eyed approval.  
Like everything else he did, Julian jumped in with both feet. Now, three months later, the children were pulling off their first actual performance. A few of the more well to do citizens, including some of the other shopkeepers, had been invited to watch.

  
Still watching his face, as he intently watched the children, she smiled.

  
He had come such a long way.

  
Feeling her gaze, his lips curled into a smile. He glanced down at her, nodding toward the stage, whispering, “Entertainment’s _that_ way, my dear.”

  
“They’re doing so well...but this view is more captivating.”

  
He snorted a faint laugh, though his face flushed, tips of his ears darkening, as he looked back to the stage, “Flatterer.”

  
They remained that way, until the performance ended with a flourish. Giving her a quick squeeze, Julian unwrapped his arm from around her, and strode forward as the small audience rose, applauding.

  
On the stage, the children lined up, bowing deeply from the waist. Sabrina applauded as well, her eyes on the youngest. Obi seemed more relieved it was over than anything else.

  
As Julian spoke with the audience, charming them all and rubbing elbows with the best of them, she made her way to the edge of the stage. The children came over to where she stood, beaming.

  
“Did you _see?_!” Joseph, the oldest, asked, face flushed with excitement and energy, “You came in late, but did you see the fight!?”

  
“I _did_ ,” she smiled, “You did very well. You were very good too, Obi, you’re getting much better.”

  
The small child ducked his head down, hunching his shoulders slightly.

  
“You’re officially actors now,” Sabrina announced, “How do you all feel?”

  
“Excited!” Joseph announced.

  
“Ok,” Obi mumbled.

  
“Hungry!” another child laughed, “I need to get home!”

  
She started shucking off her costume there on stage, getting caught up in the snaps. Sabrina reached up, helping tug it loose, then called to her as she ran towards the stairs.  
“Watch for wagons!”

  
A wave, and the dark haired child was gone.

  
Joseph was removing his costume as well, carefully laying it in a neat pile on the stage, “I have to get going too, Papa’s going to need my help with the wood. Come on, Obi, let’s get going.”

  
It only took a few minutes for the children to slip out of their costumes, and hand them to Sabrina. She watched them hurry out the doors, and neatly piled them in a chair.

  
“Good evening, miss.”  
She turned in time to see the shopkeepers and others in the audience make their way towards the same entrance, talking among themselves about the performance they had just seen, which parts they thought was the most entertaining.

  
“That went well,” she smiled, as Julian sauntered over to her, “The children seem to have enjoyed pulling it off.”

  
Walking to a small alcove in the wall, Julian pulled out a long thin candle snuffer, several feet long. He made his way along the wall, reaching up and easily putting out the lanterns that lined the wall, “We almost didn’t get Odi. He took one look at the people in the audience and nearly passed out.”

  
She fell into step beside him, “Oh Gods, the poor thing. He looked green when I came in.”

  
“I convinced him to pretend the audience wasn’t real. It seemed to work.”

  
“I’m going to go clean up the foyer. I’m no use to you here.”

  
A teasing smile played over his lips, eye focused on the lantern above him, “Yes, I’d ask you to do the other side, but you’re...ah...”

  
“ _Don’t say it_.”

  
“Petite,” he finished, keeping his eye on the next lantern as he made his way towards it.

 

“Ohh, _good_ catch.”

  
The sun was starting to set as they made their way back along the cobblestones toward the small store and the living area upstairs. Arms wrapped around each other, he spoke of how it had all gone off.

  
“Even Barth wants to sponsor a play,” Julian sounded amused.

  
“Barth.”

  
“Yeees.”

  
“ _Rowdy Raven_ Barth.”

  
“I don’t know of any _other_ Barth.”

  
“It’s kind of him, but....is it a good idea to have a children’s play sponsored by...well...the Rowdy Raven? Don’t get me wrong, I love the place, but...”

  
“Barth loves children! I know because he won’t let any within the Raven at all.”

  
Sabrina laughed.

  
They continued on in easy silence, her small frame pressed against his longer one. After a few minutes, he spoke, voice a little less playful, a little more serious.

  
“And..er....how did the practice with Asra go?”

  
She opened her mouth to speak, then let a deep sigh out instead.

  
“Oh. That doesn’t sound good.”

  
“It was the same as last time, Julian. I started to feel something, and then it pulled back. Just when I wanted to grasp it, to try and get a good hold of it, it got pulled away.”

  
Grey eye scanning the path before them as they walked, he hummed in thought for a moment, then spoke, “And..er... what did Asra say?”

  
“I wasn’t concentrating.”

  
Silence.

  
They came to their door. Slipping his arm from her waist, Julian stood back as Sabrina raised her hand and started to trace the warding runes on the door. She frowned faintly as she gazed at the rune.

  
All runes in magic were the same. It was why one magician could teach it to another. It was how she had been able to teach them to Julian when they were trapped in the tower. She traced it, he copied it. It was the same rune. While Asra had said magic was different, it was how the rune was created. The actual rune itself was always the same.

Except now. The ones she was drawing...it’s like she was just making them up in her head...only they were empowered. They did things.

  
Suddenly, Julian stepped forward, moving up to stand beside her. He reached out and gently took her wrist, turning her hand, palm towards him.

  
“Hold up...your fingers. They’re burned.”

  
Sabrina focused on the red, slightly swollen cast to her fingertips, “Oh. Yeah. From trying to grasp the magic. Guess it didn’t want to be grasped.”

  
Julian frowned, and took her other wrist in his other hand, cool leather against her skin, “You don’t have anything on these, do you? Salve? They haven’t even been _wrapped_ , Sabrina.” Reaching up, he gently turned her face this way and that, looking her over.

  
“I’m fine, Julian, just my hands. And I don’t like anything on my hands, you know that.”

  
Julian cast her a fond, but exasperated look as he opened the door, “Upstairs, to the table, miss. Let me grab my bag.”

  
“I really don’t want anyt-“

  
“Who’s the doctor?”

  
“You are, but-“

  
“Shoo!”

  
She shooed.

  
Climbing the stairs to the small living area above the store, she walked to the table, and sat, pushing her legs out under the table. She glanced towards where a pot was simmering over a low-banked fire, sniffing the air. Well, at least the stew was still warm.

  
Hearing footsteps coming up the stairs, Sabrina smiled to herself. It wasn’t a big deal to let Julian fuss over her a little. They both knew if she really didn’t want to be treated, she’d refuse, and Julian would back off. Even after all this time, he still had that innate need to please, to follow in her footsteps. She had wondered, when they had finally settled down, if he would have lost that, if it had been a result of being alone for so long, a result of meeting someone that cared for him so unexpected. But no. It was Julian.  
And he would have backed off....but would have fussed over her in a million other ways, and so it was just easier to let him tend to the small injuries. Besides...taking care of her seemed to make him happy.

  
Julian entered the small kitchen, ducking under the low arch as he did, and placed a black leather bag on the table. She smiled fondly at. It had been her first gift to him when he had announced he was reopening his clinic.

  
_“You can’t be a doctor without a doctor’s bag,”_ she had said, bringing it out of its hiding place and plopping it before him.

  
He was still finding the tools and items he needed to fill it, but for now he reached in and pulled out a small white vial. Pulling a chair beside hers with a foot, he folded his long legs and sat. Opening the vial, he dipped a finger in, and taking one of her hands, gently started smoothing a creamy salve over her fingertips.

  
He had removed the eyepatch when he entered the store. Although the neighbours were aware he wasn’t carrying the plague, sometimes the red sclera bothered him. He knew it made him stand out, not in a good manner, and people unfamiliar with him would sometimes stare...or worse, move swiftly away from him. Among friends and family, however, he would remove it, stuffing it into a pocket.

  
“How did you actually manage to do this?” he asked, looking down his long nose at her fingertips.

  
“I was reaching for something, I told you, And it didn’t want to be caught, I guess.”

  
“It’s, uh...er...not too friendly, then, is it?”

  
Sabrina smiled, her own gaze on his hands as he worked, “It’s magic. It’s neither bad n-“

  
“ –Nor good, yes. I remember But something doesn’t have to be bad to be dangerous. Look at cows.”

“...Cows?” she blinked at him.

  
Keeping his gaze on her burned fingertips, Julian nodded sagely, “Just so, cows. Cows aren’t evil, they’re not cruel nor mean. They don’t...er...they don’t hunt their food and consume it blood and bones and all. Yet cows can be dangerous if provoked.”

  
There was a silence for a moment, the only sound the crackling of the low banked fire. After a second, she spoke.

  
“You were chased by a cow, weren’t you?”

  
Eyes still fixed on her fingertips, the corners of his mouth quirked, a faint blush threatening to darken his face, “I plead innocence.”

  
She laughed, “ _When were you chased by a cow!?”_

  
“It..uh..it..it’s not important right now. _The point I’m trying to make_ is that you need to be careful. Just because magic isn’t dangerous in its own right doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you.”

  
His gaze now met hers, and he lightly gestured at her with her own hand, “Case in point.”

  
“And yet I’m alive.”

  
He said nothing, letting go of her first hand, and lightly taking her second. He started working on those fingertips. Gaze once more on her hand, he spoke, his voice low.  
“I wish there were something I could do to help.”  
She smiled, “I know. Just...listening to me helps, though, Julian.”

  
He shook his head, auburn hair swaying faintly. She was momentarily struck with the thought he needed a slight trim, when his voice brought her back, “I mean really help. In this I..er..I’m completely useless, aren’t I?”

  
Sabrina frowned, “No, you’re not!”

  
Silence.

  
“Julian....I know how you feel about magic. It’s ok.”

  
He straightens slightly, looking at her somewhat startled, “I don’t hate magic!”

  
“No, but you’re...you’re still _uncomfortable_ with it. You overcame a lot, I know. You even let me teach you a little in the Tower that time...and you did really well!...but I _know_ you. If it’s not something you can measure...the height and width, put it on a scale and weigh...if you can’t make an illustration of it and catalogue it five different ways...you’re uncomfortable with it.”

  
He made a faint snort, but looked back to her hand, returning to his work.

  
Sabrina sighed, “I just wish I could stop trying to burn the place down.”

  
A faint jerk, and he leaned back. Putting the unstoppered vial on the table, Julian turned her hand over, sliding long thin fingers into hers, resting their hands palm to palm, “You...we’ll figure it out. Maybe you just need extra training from Asra.”

  
She leaned forward, pressing her free hand against the back of his, “He did say he was going to help me concentrate more. If I was more aware of what I was doing...”

  
Now his free hand came to rest against the back of hers, “There, see? You’ll do it.” He smiled, “After everything we’ve just come through, Sabrina, this won’t be difficult.”

  
She squared her shoulders like she had often seen him do, and nodded, “Right.”

  
He gave her hands a gentle squeeze, then released them, unfolding himself to his full height, “Now, are you hungry? I’m famished.”

 

The next day passed like so many others. She worked in her store, Julian worked in his clinic. It was a good system. The herbs she grew often went into the medicines he would prescribe. The patients had the option of using their own or even buying supplies somewhere else, but seeing they were so close, and her store was just there....  
But they were so busy. Expansion, new projects...sometimes it seemed they would never be able to relax.

  
She had closed up her store and was making her way down to the small theatre to meet the children there. Julian was seeing to his last patient of the day – a sick infant – and would meet her there. As she made her way down the cobblestone path, her mind went back to the previous night.

  
She had laid there, unable to sleep. Resting against Julian as he slept, listening to his steady, even breathing, feeling the slow rise and fall of his chest, her own mind went again to the strange conundrum she found herself in.

  
The strange runes she was drawing. She herself had never seen their like before, and if Asra hadn’t, that made her even more worried. Sabrina had never been able to perform magic unintentionally, and that frightened her. When she had accidentally set fire to the wooden chopping table in the kitchen, she had been frightened. Trying to smother the flames with the cloak she was wearing, unable to understand how the fire had suddenly sprung to life – it wasn’t anywhere near the fireplace. Her eyes had found the burned rune, traced into the rough surface, and she suddenly remembered feeling the texture under her fingertips as she had stood looking out the small window, thinking about something else. Just...tracing her fingertips, the way anyone would. Only she had created something that had burst into flame.

  
What would have happened if Julian hadn’t stepped inside right at that moment, found her trying to beat out the flames with her own clothing, terrified and confused, growing more and more panicked?

  
_He had crossed the kitchen in a single stride, and pushing her back, had somehow physically picked up the entire burning table in his hands._  
_“The door!”_  
_Sabrina had almost tripped running to the door before him, and threw it open. Julian was already there, and swung the burning wood out into the street, where it was quickly engulfed entirely in flames, collapsing in on itself with a crunch._  
_“What happened!?” he rounded to her, grabbing her by the shoulders, “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”_  
_“I don’t know!” she had burst into tears, “I don’t know what happened, I think I set it on fire by accident!”_

  
She shifted, unable to get comfortable.

  
It had happened three more times that she knew of. One was a rune that had frozen a small stool in their bedroom, ice forming on it for a few seconds. Another time one of her “doodles”, as Julian called them, had created a strange, sickly green glow. It hadn’t done anything dangerous, but left her with an ill feeling. The third Julian had been reading a letter to her that he was going to send to a colleague in another city, asking advice on a patient. He had been reading it to get her opinion, when a strange scorching smell had suddenly met their noses. The coffee he had been drinking suddenly started to steam faintly, and he quickly put the cup down. Sabrina realized, horrified, she had been tracing her fingertips on the desk as he had read, and the heat had transferred into his cup. Again, she had burst into tears. She was frightened, and this time her magic had focused far too close to his form for her liking. For his part, he had tried to joke and make light of it, exclaiming now he had good hot coffee again, that she could reheat his drink anytime.

  
She watched him sleep – sleep was a rarity for him, and suppressed an urge to reach out and touch him, not wanting to risk waking him. Even after all they had been through, he was still smitten with her...as she was with him...and they were good together. Their house was happy and warm, their sex life was amazing...they kept finding little ways to keep things spicy...and they should have been in heaven.

  
And now this.

  
Trying to push the bleak thoughts from her head, she rounded the corner towards the small theatre, and came to a complete stop.

  
The building was on fire.

  
The building itself wasn’t on fire as stone couldn’t burn, but the banners, the signs outside, everything that had been added to the store was on fire. There was a small group of people standing just outside, clustered together, talking. Sabrina could see the children gathered there as well, Joseph had his arms around two of the other children.

  
Sabrina ran up, “What’s happened! There’s no one inside, is there!?”

  
One of the local storekeepers looked at her, and shook his head, “No, thank goodness. And the fire’s just outside, nothing inside.”

  
“What happened, how did this start?”

  
“I saw him,” Obi spoke up, wide eyes focused on the others around him.

“Him? Who him?” Sabrina leaned over.

  
“A man. He had glass bottles in his hands, with bits of cloth in them, and was lighting them. Then he threw one at the theatre.”

  
“Wh...why?” Sabrina looked at the storekeep for a second, then looked back, “Wait, you said bottles? He had more?”

  
Obi nodded.

  
“Where did he go?”

  
“Behind the theatre.”

  
Sabrina grew cold. There was an entrance there, leading to the back rooms, where normally costumes and backdrops would be kept. Some were still there, old and abandoned from years of theatre a long time ago. They were dry, and would ignite like dead grass.

  
Cursing, she turned, and started to run around the side of the building. She heard footsteps coming behind her. Without looking to see who it was, she waved a hand back at them, “Stay out front!”

  
Sabrina took the corner of the building in a flash, eyes roaming over every surface, looking for this person carrying the fire. What was he doing? Why was he attacking a theatre!? A children’s theatre, for the Gods’ sake?

  
Slowing as she finally got to the back, she was relieved to see the back door was still closed, and there was no sign of any fire having started.

  
Angry, she set her hands onto her hips, blowing out air.

  
“Well, I guess it’s just the front that-“

  
Blackness enveloped her as something slammed down around her. A thick smell, musty and like old wet earth assaulted her nose. She shrieked in shock, and started to struggle. Her arms couldn’t move, something was binding her.

  
Some sort of cloth, shoved down over her, growing tighter and tighter.

  
Hissing under her breath, Sabrina started to call her magic to her, feeling her hands growing hot, fingertips tingling faintly as they gathered the force behind the spell she would cast.

  
She heard a muffled shout, in the distance, and suddenly something slammed brutally hard into the side of her head. Lights flashed before her eyes, and the strength in her legs left. She buckled, feeling herself being plucked off her feet, and thrown over a shoulder. Then even the flashing stars before her eyes winked out, and she blacked out.

 

(To be continued)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn a little more about what has happened.

It was the headache that awoke her.

Throbbing, heavy, the pain seemed to be concentrated on one side of her head, the pain wrapping tendrils around to the other with each pulse.  She slowly fought herself up towards awareness.  Like struggling up through molasses, she rose to the surface.

Groaning, Sabrina moved faintly, arms and legs stiff and cold. 

What had happened? Had she been trying to remember, again?

Slowly, memory started to come back to her, recent memory.  There had been a fire.  At the theatre?

“Julian?” she croaked, her throat dry.

Bracing herself, she managed to open her eyes, squinting at what felt like brilliant light seared into her eyes.  With a faint whimper, she raised leaden hands, and put them over her face for a moment.

She lay there, concentrating on her breathing, and soon, the pain ebbed back, sliding away, not leaving entirely, but enough that she could gather her wits about her.

Opening her eyes again, she took a better look at where she was.

She was lying on a bed, thick and soft.  The thick comforter and sheets were all in different hues of blue.  There was a huge ornate headboard, with inlaid mother of pearl peacocks in a garden scene.

The room she was in was sumptuous, with cherry wood tables and chairs, inlaid with gold leaf.  Brilliant scarlet curtains and sashes lined the walls, a thick sky blue rug on the floor.  A nearby table had a tall crystal pitcher of cold water, and glasses.

Moving awkwardly, half crawling, half swimming, Sabrina managed to crawl off the bed, and onto her feet.  She reached out for the table, and putting her hands on it, managed to lever herself up.  Her legs trembled slightly, headache threatening to return for a moment, before ebbing back.  Cautiously, she reached out, and taking the pitcher in one hand, and a crystal glass in another, she poured herself a tall glass of cold water.

Raising it to dry lips, she downed the glass in four huge gulps.  Hands shaking slightly, she started to pour out another when a voice spoke.

“Careful.”

Gasping, she spun, spilling water from the pitcher onto the floor.

A man sat just inside an archway, a heavy wooden door closed behind him.  He wore breeches of dark green silk and knee-high leather boots.  A white silk shirt was worn with a dark green scarf tied around his throat.  The sleeves were well cut, narrow and straight.  Black hair cut short and neat complimented a neatly trimmed black beard.  His skin was dusky.  His eyes were either black or a very dark brown, it was hard to see from where she stood. 

He sat in the chair, one leg crossed over the other, ankle resting atop a knee.  Hands were loosely folded before her, as he observed her.

“Don’t drink too much all at once, “ he spoke again, voice surprisingly deep, “You’ll get sick.”

Sabrina took a step back, laying the heavy pitcher back on the table.

“Who are you? Where am I?’ she asked, voice startling her with it’s roughness.

A smile grace the man’s face, and he spread his arms, “You are in my mansion.  Please...if you are thirsty, drink some more, only slowly, yes?”

Memories started to come back to her.  The fire at the theatre.  Running to find the culprit.  Something wrapping around her.  Being struck.

Sabrina raised a hand to the side of her head, and winced. There was a large lump there, tender to the touch.

“Ah. I apologise for that,” the man said, “I’m afraid my minion was a bit...zealous...in bringing you to me.”

“Zealous? Try insane. What’s going on?”

“I need your help, Sabrina. For something very important.”

Sabrina felt slightly chilled. He knew her name. He knew her name and she had never seen him before.

“Such as?”

“I’ll explain later.  For now, are you hungry?  Would you like some clothing?”

“Clothing?”

She looked down at herself, and only now realized her clothing was torn and covered in dust.  She brought her hands down over it, trying to brush off the dirt, but only succeeded in making it worse.

“Again, I apologise,” the man spoke.

Looking up, frowning, Sabrina spoke again, “Who are you?”

The man rose to his feet gracefully. He bowed at the waist before her with a flourish, before standing up again.

“Ah, where are my manners? I am the Duke Earlington. It is a delight to meet you.”

Sabrina gave her clothing one last attempt at brushing off the dirt, before giving up. She looked at him, “Well, Duke Earlington, if you want to ask me for a favour, you’re going to have to-‘

Something else clicked in place, and she blinked, “Wait. Did you set fire to the theatre!?”

A wince, “Ah. That. Again, I apologise. My servant-“

“You!  You son of – we worked _hard_ to restore that! It was dirty and run down, and we cleaned it up and got it running!

You know what? I think I’m going to go back to my house and change. I’m going to make sure the theatre is in one piece, and then...then...we can talk about whatever this favour you want is. Because I’m going to be honest with you....with everything you’ve done so far, I am not feeling inclined to help you.”

Duke Earlington smiled again, an almost predatory look to his face, “Ah well. About that. You see, I’m afraid you can’t go back to your house.”

“What....do you mean?”

“I’m afraid I can’t allow that. We need to work this deal out. Now.”

Realization slowly dawned on her, and she stared at him in shock, “You...you _kidnapped_ me!?”

The Duke spread his hands in answer.

Sabrina continued to stare at the Duke, unable to speak.  She opened her mouth, closed it again, then opened it.  After a second, she found her voice.

“No.  _No_. No no no no no. You don’t understand.  I don’t have _time_ to be kidnapped. We’re enlarging the garden in the backyard.  Julian’s added on a room to his clinic and we’re going to start moving some heavy equipment back there.  I literally _can’t_ be kidnapped right now.  You...you just _unkidnap_ me right this minute!”

The Duke stared at her, stunned. It was clear by his face he was unable to believe what he was hearing.  He had expected fear, tears, pleading...but not refusal due to a busy schedule.

“I’m sorry, my dear, but I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. You are here.  And here you are going to stay.”

Sabrina stared at the Duke for a span of a few seconds, silent. Her anger was apparent, the hot glare she levelled at him intense.  The two of them locked eyes for a moment, before Sabrina suddenly leapt, bolting towards the door.

Grabbing the handle, she threw open the door, and lunged out into the small brick hallway, sprinting down towards the archway at the far end.  Daylight shone in through, and she knew if she could just get there, she could get back into the street of Vesuvia, and get help.

She expected to hear the Duke behind her at any moment, expected to hear his footsteps as he chased after her, relief washing over her when she realized he wasn’t chasing.

Towards the archway, and out through, pushing aside a gauzy curtain, and –

She stopped in her tracks, stunned at the scene before her.

The archway led into an open balcony, white furniture standing in small groups, tables and chairs gathered together, where people would sit and converse.  Brilliantly colored rugs lay on the floor, and curtains of sheer material swayed lazily in the faint breeze.

Behind the balcony, like a massive backdrop, was an ocean.

It wasn’t the ocean Vesuvia was nestled against, she was sure of that. There was no dark island just off shore, and instead, there were cliffs on the other side of what was a natural harbour.  The cliffs loomed, dark grey, ancient stone exposed to the sunlight.   White seabirds could be seen flying around them.

The water was a brilliant blue, and from where she stood, she could see boats plying the waters. Some small, others large and grand, white sails standing out against the blue sky.

Where....where _was_ she?

A hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, hard, and a rough voice spoke, demanding to know where she was going?

Sabrina turned, heart thumping in her chest, and pulled, trying to pull free. The whole time her mind was chattering, trying to find a reason Vesuvia was somehow picked up and deposited somewhere else..

The man who held her wrist was huge, ruddy skin flushing in the heat of the day. His shaven scalp was crisscrossed with scars, looking like snakes twisting over his skin. He wore no shirt, only wide legged pants made of gauzy material, and sandals.  His hand tightened painfully when she tried to pull free.

Cursing, Sabrina  started to gather her magic towards her, envisioning striking him hard, to knock away his hand.  Her fingers tingled with the power.

The man’s eyes widened, “What are you-“

Sabrina released her magic.

Agony shot through her, seeming to set fire to her very bones.  Her hair felt like it was standing on end, and she shrieked in pain and shock. Her body jerked, and her legs suddenly gave out, casting her roughly to the floor, where she instantly curled in on herself, wrapping her arms around her middle, shuddering in pain.  She couldn’t breathe.

Unable to hear over the sounds of her own pain, she missed the footsteps of another approach.  Her eyes focused on a pair of boots that stood before her.

Body twitching, she listened helplessly.

“Master, forgive me, but I didn’t think she’d be foolish enough to try magic on me.”

“It’s fine, Apollo.  She’s not from here, she doesn’t understand the collar.”

Collar?

Trembling, one of her hands slid up to touch her throat, and her fingertips encountered something soft and delicate, like lace.

Curling her fingers in under the material, she tried to pull the necklace free, but another wave of pain struck her violently, and she slid into blackness.

 

The sun was shining in Vesuvia,  a warm day with a light cool breeze.  Children ran in the streets once their chores were complete, laughing.  In the residential areas laundry hung from lines, drying, their soft colors adding vitality to the houses.

In the Palace, the servants were scurrying to and fro.  The daily chores had to be done, things washed, food made. Animals cared for.  A city didn’t run itself. It survived day to day on the backs of many others, doing small but important jobs.

In a room in the palace, a woman stood, looking out the window.  She was striking; dark hair arranged in fancy whorls, cascading down her back with an arrangement of pearls and gold chains.  She was likewise dressed in finery, rare materials and gems.  The way she moved, her mannerisms, the way she spoke, indicated she was a woman of nobility, and had been so from birth.  Power sat atop her shoulders like an invisible cloak, and she wore it well.

Her face, however, was cast with a shadow.  She frowned out the window, lifting her gaze up towards the brilliant blue sky.

She had just received the most recent report from the captain of her guards.  Raising a graceful hand, she lightly rubbed at her temples.

Beside her, the door opened, and she turned.

Asra walked in, closing the door behind him.  He moved quickly to the woman, eyes watching her face closely.

“Anything, Nadia?”

“I fear not,” the woman spoke, her voice rich and cultured, “The city guards haven’t found anything yet.  Despite having been seen running behind the theatre, it is as if Sabrina has simply vanished into thin air. No one saw her come out, and no one saw the unknown individual exit either.  The theatre has been searched from top to bottom in case they were inside.  My guards tell me there are no footprints behind the theatre, other than Sabrina’s, and they suddenly vanish.”

Asra sighed, and ran his hands through his hair, looking around the room as if an answer might be hiding in a corner, “The child, Obi, said he saw the man throw a bag over Sabrina.  That would explain why her footprints just stopped, but where are his? He couldn’t have just vanished into thin air....unless he was able to make a portal right then and there.  If so...he’s a very powerful magician.”

Nadia nodded, pressing her lips together in a thin line. She looked back out for a moment, then turned back to Asra.

“And Julian?”

He shook his head for a second, then spoke, “He’s going insane.  Trying to take off in five different directions at once.”

“Where is he now?”

“I sent him back to their place, to bring me something of hers, something she’s handled recently.  I might be able to focus and find a location for her. It can be hard, but I have to try something.”

Nadia studied his face, “You’re worried.”

“Of course I am. Why would someone kidnap Sabrina? She’s not rich, she’s not royalty. She runs a little magic store.”

Nadia clasped her hands together, and spoke softly, not meeting Asra’s eyes, “I...am worried as well.  I fear perhaps her friendship with me may have endangered her.  It would not be the first time someone kidnapped a friend of someone with power in order to force their hand on something. If she comes to harm because of me...”

Asra stepped forward, and reached up, gently patting Nadia’s shoulder, “She...she’s been gone several hours now.  I think if that were case, you would have heard something. A message, a note, anything.”

Nadia glanced at Asra, and nodded, straightening up slightly, “You....you’re probably right.”

Asra opened his mouth to say something, when the door suddenly opened, and Julian entered.

He looked haggard.  Boots and pants were smeared with dried mud, his outer coat covered in dust and pollen.  His dark auburn hair had lost any defined curls and hung frizzily.  It was apparent he had been moving through some unkempt places, searching.

He moved swiftly to Asra, holding out a piece of clothing, pale blue in color, “Asra, this? Is this ok?  It’s her nightshirt, she wore it just last night. Is it ok?  It’s the most recent thing she’s worn-“

“That’s perfect, Julian,” Asra took the nightshirt from the doctor’s hands, noticing as he did they were shaking, “Why don’t you sit down and rest a minute?’

“No. No no, I’m fine. No need to rest. I’ll rest when I know she’s ok. _Plenty_ of rest then.”  His grey eye flicked from the nightshirt to Asra’s face, “How do we do this? What do I do?”

Nadia stepped forward, laying a hand on Julian’s shoulder, “I think Asra will do this part himself, Julian.  Please, have a seat. I’ll fetch you some tea, shall I?”

Julian blinked at Nadia, and barked a nervous laugh, “What? _You_ serve _me_? That’s not how it’s done, Countess! There are society rules, after all!”  Long fingers twisted together, leather gloves squeaking faintly.

She spoke firmly, but kindly, “You’re shaking, Julian. Any harder and the buttons will fall off your jacket.”  Gently but firmly, Nadia guided Julian to the nearest chair, “Sit.  And let me serve my friend some tea.”

He protested faintly, but had no energy to refuse.  Moving to the chaise, his long legs folded and he sat, slumping back. He looked paler than normal. 

Asra excused himself, and slipped out of the room.

Nadia cast a glance towards the doctor as she poured the tea, and spoke softly, “I’m certain she’ll be fine.”

Letting his arm fall loose, fingers dangling towards the floor, Julian remained still for a moment, looking drained.  He raised a gloved hand, rubbing his face.  He stilled, hand still resting against his face, as if utterly exhausted.  After a moment, he spoke.

“You don’t know that.”

Nadia paused, eyes focused on the cup for a second, then continued filling, “You...speak true. I don’t.  But there is no reason for them to harm her. She’s not the leader of a country waging war.  She’s not in politics. She runs a small shop.”

“Then why haven’t they let her go?” he asked, wearily.

Nadia fell silent.

Still slumped in the chaise, he lowered his hand, eye settling on the cup Nadia was holding, and spoke.

“You’re a woman of the world, Nadia. You’re no innocent, wide-eyed child. You know....as well as I do....there are people out there who don’t need a _reason_ to hurt someone. They just enjoy hurting. People have gone missing....and they’ve never been found.  Simple, ordinary people.”

Nadia remained still, emotions warring inside her. She wanted to put Julian at ease, to try and relieve any fears he was having....but didn’t want to insult him by lying.  Julian had done a great deal of travel, made it a habit of visiting the less...reputable...places.  He was more than aware of just what...garbage...existed out there.

“She’s not ordinary, though,” she said, turning and offering the delicate cup to Julian, “She’s an experienced Magician in her own right.  Sabrina’s not a shrinking violet.  She chained The Devil.”

Julian removed his gloves, pulling the leather off one finger at a time, resting them in his lap.  He levered himself forward, taking the cup from her hand, “I’m aware. That doesn’t mean she’s not...fragile.”

Nadia arched a brow.

Julian took a sip of the tea, meeting Nadia’s dark eyes with his own over the rim of the cup.  Swallowing, he spoke, “I assume Asra’s told you about her...runes?”

Nadia picked up her own cup, leaning back in her chair. She swirled the dark liquid in the cup, nodding, “Yes. He has.”

He took another sip of the tea.  Every now and then his eye would dart to the doorway Asra had disappeared through, looking for his return. For answers.

“Julian, when you got to the theatre, what did you see?”

He took another long drink, before leaning forward and putting his teacup on the table. Nadia noticed his fingers were still faintly trembling.

“I saw the fire.  At first I thought I might have left a lantern lit from yesterday, until they told me it had just been the outside.  When they told me Sabrina had chased someone around back...”

Julian looked down at his hands, folding them together.

“I looked everywhere.  At first I was worried. She might have run into someone dangerous. But when I kept looking, and couldn’t find her.... and then Obi said he had seen someone grab her...”

Another look to the door.  After a second, Julian stood up, and started pacing, “There has to be _something_ else I can do! I can’t just _sit_ here while she’s...she’s.....”

“Julian-“

“What if they’re _hurting_ her!? _Right now!_ What if they’re...they’re...”

_“Julian!”_

He stopped, looking at Nadia, wide-eyed.

Taking a breath, she spoke, “You are doing everything you possibly can. There is nothing else you can do right now.  She wouldn’t want you tearing yourself up like this.  Please.  Sit down, and finish your tea.”

He looked like he wanted to say something, to argue, to protest, but after a second realized she was right.  He moved back to his chair, and started to sink down into it, when the door opened and Asra entered, holding the night shirt.

Julian’s butt hadn’t even touched the chaise before he shot to his feet again, Nadia rising to hers seconds later.  She frowned at the look on Asra’s face, glancing to Julian as he swiftly moved forward.

“Asra? Do you have anything? Did you find her!?”

Asra looked from Julian, to Nadia, and back to Julian again. His face was pale, and his lavender eyes troubled, “I...I think I found her, yes.”

“ _Well!? Where is she!?”_

Tightening his fingers on the nightshirt, Asra spoke lowly, “Valdeer.”

There was silence.  Julian looked confused, frowning, “Valdeer?  Is there a place in the city renamed Valdeer?”

Nadia spoke lowly, “There is not.”

Julian looked from Nadia to Asra, before his grey eye widened, “Wait. You mean..... _Valdeer?_ _THE_ Valdeer?”

Asra nodded.

“But that...that’s half way around the world from here! It would take weeks by ship, months by caravan! There’s no way she could be there! You must have done something wrong.”

Asra shook his head, “Not if her attacker used a portal.”

Nadia raised a hand to her forehead,  then spoke, “You think that’s what happened?”

Asra nodded, “It’s the only way.  She’s there, for sure. I saw her, and a backdrop of the Great Harbour. The only way they could have gotten her there that quickly is by portal.”

Julian reached out, grabbing Asra lightly by the shoulders, “You _saw_ her?”

“Yes.”

“ _She’s ok_!?”

Asra looked away for a minute, “It’s was only for a second, Julian, but I think so.”

The doctor watched Asra’s face in  silence for a minute, then took a deep shuddering breath, letting go of the shorter one's shoulders.

“Good. That....that’s good.  Right?”

The three of them stood there, in silence for a moment, before Julian spoke again. He was smiling, though it didn’t exactly reach his eyes, “Well then! You can make a portal, right Asra? Get us there? We’ll go, chase down this bastard that has her, and bring her back! Right?”

Nadia stirred, “Julian-“

But Asra spoke first, “I can, Julian, but it’s going to take me a day or two, I’m sorry.”  Seeing Julian’s face, he hurriedly explained, “It’s easier to take people into and out of my realm, but Valdeer is very far away. I’m going to have to make a series of hops to get us there, and....I’m going to need some special things.”

Julian nodded, torn between wanting to start right away, and realizing Asra would be expending a lot of energy.  He clasped his hands, wringing them slightly, “Yes. Yes, of course. I...thank you.  I appreciate this, Asra.”

Asra smiled, “She’s my friend, Julian. As are you. We’ll get her back.”

“Right we will!  I..er...what can I do to help?”

“Go back to your house, and grab me a few more things that belonged to her.  I’ll use them as anchors to move us forward.  Pack some food and water, and anything else you want to bring...not too much, though. Come back in four hours, and we’ll get started.”

“Right! Yes!”

Julian swiftly turned, and without another word, about to race from the room.  Nadia called out, “Julian, take a carriage! You’ll be of no use if you’re exhausted.”

He nodded, leaving the room.

There was silence after he left.  Nadia and Asra looked at each other.  Softly, the woman spoke, “Asra...are you sure this is a good idea?”

Awkwardly, Asra shrugged, “What else can I do? We need magic to get there.  Otherwise it’s going to take months. And she may not have that.”

Nadia nodded.  She straightened her shoulders, “Anything you need, you have but to ask.  I will be accompanying you.”

Asra looked up swiftly, blinking, “You... _what_? Nadia?”

Nadia’s eyes flashed, “Sabrina is my friend, Asra. She helped save my city from Lucio and The Devil. I will _not_ abandon her when she needs me.”

Asra smiled.

“When...will you explain the situation to Julian?”

The smile fell from Asra’s face, “Just before we leave. There’s no reason to scare him any further than he already is.”

 

 

 

Back at the house, Julian tore through Sabrina’s things, looking for suitable “anchors”, as Asra called them.  Things she had worn or handled recently, but nothing too big or bulky. They were going to have to be carried.

He grabbed a satchel off the wall, and moved up to the small bedroom.

Sabrina didn’t wear much jewelry, just a few simple pieces.  She didn’t really own anything fancy and never really seemed interested in any.  A scarf she had worn a few days ago, when she had shown a few tourists around the city,  a hand knit shawl he had bought for her the last time they had been travelling with Mazelinka – she would often wrap it around her shoulders if she had to step outside after dark – a few other small things.

He turned, looking over their small little domicile.

It was small...but so comfortable. It was...it was _home_.  While she seemed to fit the place perfectly, he was all limbs and too tall, yet neither had any complaints about the gentle bumps and brushes they encountered daily.  He faintly smiled remembering the small hanging pots that she used to dry her herbs, and how many times he had banged his head into them before finally remembering to duck.

He had a _life_ here.

Julian would have laughed had anyone told him, over a year ago, that he would be living in Vesuvia, in a small apartment above a magic store, in a life of domestic bliss.  If anyone had told him how content he would be just....living a normal, ordinary existence he would have been offended.  He craved _adventure_! He craved hijinks and swashbuckling action!  And while he still did....he also found a deep contentment in lying in bed at night, Sabrina curled up beside him, her body warm and curved so nicely against him, listening to the rain outside.  They sometimes just talked for hours that way, plans for the future.  Sabrina would often ask him about his childhood, his life growing up with the other children. She had no such memories to share – she could remember nothing beyond when Asra woke her.

A chill settled over him.

Nadia made a good point....why would anyone _take_ her? She wasn’t a political pawn, she had no monetary worth....which made the grabbing all the more dark. All the more worrisome.

He still worried.  Even now, after all this time, the fight with The Devil, what they had gone through....the fact she had died....it sometimes came back to him in nightmares. That they had failed. That the plague had come back and she had died, again.  That they had faced The Devil and lost, and she had been burned to a cinder before his horrified eyes.  When those nightmares came back, and he sometimes awoke, thrashing around in the small bed, she held him, calming him. He never told her what the nightmares were about – he knew she would try to make him stop worrying, but how could he? In nightmares, the worst things came true, and it didn’t matter how often you told yourself it was over....in nightmares, it was never over.

He left their bedroom behind, and entered the kitchen, looking around.  There his doctor’s bag still sat, from where he had tossed it earlier.  How _moved_ he had been when she had given it to him.  She had teasingly told him she had a gift for him, and he had thought she was promising some fun in the bedroom later that night, when she had pulled the bag from some hiding place, and laid it before him.  That she had purchased something for _him_ , something she knew he _wanted_ , and needed....it had actually left him speechless for a moment.  He carried it proudly, a visible link to her, a physical bond.

Should he bring it?

He shook his head. No. They’d be back soon enough.

Food and water was easy enough.  Several water skins were filled from the cool barrel, and he quickly wrapped fruit, bread and cheese in a linen cloth, tucking it away in the satchel as well.

Julian glanced outside the window, at the light.  Four hours, he had been told.   If he left now, the four hours would just be up when he arrived at the palace.

He took a deep breath, and let it out.

“Man up, Julian. She’ll be home soon.”

He turned, and shrugging on his coat, turned, and made his way outside.  He didn’t bother with the warding runes – he always made a mess of them anyway – and settled for physically locking the door.  Then he folded his long frame into the waiting carriage, and closed the door.

 

 

 

Julian found Asra and Nadia ready when he entered the palace.  They were set up in Asra’s training room, his two apprentices helping out.  The apprentices, fraternal twins with vivid purple hair and green eyes, moved about, setting up candles and drawing out circles on the floor in chalk.  They chatted away to each other non-stop.

Nadia stood looking resplendid in durable dark brown pants and jacket. She wore little jewelry, save for a few bracelets and rings, and her hair was done up in a tight braid, wound around her head.  A sword was strapped to her hip.

She looked ready for battle.

For his part, Asra looked no different than normal.  The only difference he seemed to have affected was a different satchel hung over his shoulder. This one seemed to consist of a hundred small pockets.  It was a heavy burlap.

Julian crossed the room towards Asra, holding out the satchel, “I have what you asked for. Is..er..is everything ready?”

The twins stopped what they were doing, and turned, looking up brightly at him.

“Everything is all-“

“In readiness! Once Master Asra-“

“Starts the spell, it-“

“Will go by very quickly, so-“

“Be prepared!”

Julian’s eye moved from one face to the other, deadpan.  When they stopped speaking, he closed his eye and pinched the bridge of his nose, “You’re still doing that thing.”

“Julian! Over here.”

He turned, coming to stand before Nadia and Asra.  The Countesses’ appearance wasn’t lost, and he felt a sinking feeling.  Was she expecting trouble?

She stood before a long table, supplies laid out.  There was more food and water, blankets, and a few things he couldn’t identify but assumed they had some magical purpose.  A few of the things he did recognise, however, were the few weapons laid out.

“Julian,” Nadia spoke, turning to face the table, “I believe you mentioned once or twice that you have some experience in swordplay, yes?”

“Er...yes. You don’t survive much time on a pirate’s ship without having to pick up something. I, uh...you....do you think this is necessary?”

Nadia said nothing, and kept her gaze on the few swords laid out on the table, “I want you to choose one you think you would be most proficient with, and wear it. There are also a few flintlock pistols.”

Julian’s gaze fastened on Nadia’s face, “Do you think there’s going to be a fight?”

She turned to him, trying to smile reassuringly, “It never hurts to be cautious, does it, doctor?”

Julian turned his attention to the weapons on the table.  It was true, he could swing a sword pretty damn good, he had to admit.  But he had never actually fired a flintlock.  Besides, they took too long to load.

“Er...everything’s ready, yes? We’re starting soon?”  running a finger over the hilt of one of the smaller, slender swords, he picked it up, examining the blade.  It wasn’t heavy or bulky...just what he was used to.

“Yes. We just need to go over a few more things...”

At that Asra called to them, and they turned.

The floor of the training room had been covered in many different runes and symbols, using different medium.  Chalk, paint, something that almost looked like blood....the symbols were all arranged in a circle, making a giant ring.  Asra stood in the middle of the ring, a large bag at his feet.

“Julian. Nadia.  I’m ready.”

Casting one another tense looks, the Countess and the Doctor walked over to join Asra, carrying their things. They each took pains to make sure they didn’t step on any of the symbols, risking marring one.

The two apprentices remained outside the circle. They had fallen quiet.

“Are you both ready? And Nadia, are you sure you want to do this?”

She tilted her chin up stubbornly, “I have said so.  Do not waste time, Asra.”

He smiled faintly, then turned to Julian, “Ready?”

“Hours ago.”

The smile fell from his face.  He glanced at Nadia again, then spoke, “So...what’s going to happen, is I’m going to use one of Sabrina’s things to help me search. When I find her, I’m going to try to open a portal that will take us directly to her.

It won’t work.”

Julian frowned. He opened his mouth, but Asra kept talking.

“She’s too far away, so the portal will take us all as far as possible, and deposit us somewhere else.  Then we’ll do it again. And again. And again.  Until finally we get close enough we can move on foot and find her.  After about three or four trips, I’m going to have to rest and eat.  This is going to take a lot out of me...so I won’t be very helpful while this is going on.”

Julian spoke, “Asra, I’m sorry, you know I wouldn’t ask if-“

Asra raised a hand, cutting Julian off, “I already told you. She’s my friend. This is my choice, one I am happy to make. Only....there’s something you need to know.”

“O-Oh?”

Nadia spoke, her voice gentle, “Julian, do you know anything about Valdeer? Can you remember anything important about it when you used to travel by ship?”

Julian frowned, his grey gaze turning to the floor of the training room, fingers lightly tapping his upper arms, “Important? Not really. It’s a huge port, I remember that.  I’ve only been once, and we weren’t allowed to leave the ship the entire time, only the Captain.  It’s very strict. A lot of rules. They don’t take to outsiders very well.”

Lifting his gaze, he looked at them, “What am I missing?”

Asra shifted, and spoke, “About ten years ago, a new ruling family came into power.  Puriew Morgana is the leader there, and his family.  They took over by a coup. It was violent, and bloody.  Since then, the country and city of Valdeer is closed off from most of the world.  There...there was a crackdown on a specific group of people.

Magicians.”

Julian blinked.

Looking uneasy, Asra looked past the doctor, his gaze settling on his young apprentices.

“Magicians lost a lot of their rights. They can’t own land, they can’t work for themselves. They’re second class citizens, and treated as such.  They have to wear a collar at all times to indicate they are magicians.  If they’re caught without one they can be killed.  Trying to remove one can kill the magician. 

Since they came into power, a lot of Magicians have just...vanished, without a trace.”

Julian stared, horrified, “What....what are you saying?”

“I’m saying we have to be very, very careful. We can’t just go walking around in broad daylight asking for Sabrina and saying she’s a Magician. We’ll be arrested.”

“And...Asra is a Magician,” Nadia finished.

Julian looked at the white-haired man, stricken, “You _can’t_ go! You’re risking your life!”

“Sabrina’s life is in danger too. And she was my apprentice once. I won’t abandon her now.”

There was silence.

Asra ran his hands through his hair, “Once we arrive there, I won’t be able to do _any_ magic. I can’t be seen. That’s why Nadia has brought weapons for us.”

“I don’t understand,” Julian said, “The Magicians in Valdeer. Why are they still there? Why don’t th –“

He fell silent for a moment, then narrowed his eye, disgust thick in his voice, “Because they’re not _letting_ them leave, _are_ they? They’re prisoners in their own land.”

“Just so,” Nadia said quietly, “They are used to help run the city.  Keep the water flowing, keep the machinery running.  So they are not allowed to leave. But they are treated like cattle.”  Her own voice was hard with anger.

“Master,” one of the twins spoke, “You asked us to let you know if time was running out.”

“Right. I did. Ok. Let’s get ready.”

Julian turned to regard the runes on the floor, a knot in the pit of his stomach.  Things had just gone from bad to worse.  What were they walking into....and what was Sabrina already in?

_Hang on, my Darling, I’m coming._


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group continues to move forward

The sun was starting to set.

Sabrina had awoken back on the large, thick bed she woke on before, only this time she didn’t surface slowly.  She came to with a jump, wide eyed and alert at once.

Remembering the pain that had shot through her, she shivered, faint ghosts of the agony tracing through her bones for a few seconds, as if in gentle warning not to try it again.

Remaining lying down, she slowly brought up her hand, to touch her throat.

As before, there was what felt like a band of soft lace encircling her throat.

Cautiously, she slipped her fingers in under the lace, moving slowly in case there was any repeat of the first attack.   When no pain came, she tightened her fingers, and gave a very faint, experimental tug.

Pain, though light, blossomed behind her eyes.

Gasping, she yanked her hand down away from her throat, and sat up.

Eyes darting around the room, she relaxed slightly when she realized she was alone.  The Duke wasn’t in the chair, no strange bald servants stood nearby.  She was completely alone.

Sabrina moved off the bed, and made her way over to a full length mirror, and studied her reflection.

The lace collar encircling her throat was black, and looked like it had been knit from silk.  It made a fancy knot at the right side of her throat, two ends hanging down slightly.

 _“What is this?”_ she whispered, leaning in closer to look at it.

Her reflection said nothing.

Turning to look back at her room, she noticed there was fresh clothing laid out for her on a nearby stool.  For a second, she felt a surge of anger. She was not going to wear _his_ clothing.  She’d rather go naked than wear anything _he_ gave her.

Looking down at what she was wearing, however, caused her to reconsider.  The dust that lightly puffed from the material when she moved would soon start causing her to sneeze, and then she’d be miserable with a runny nose. There were also a few tears here and there.  In all honesty, refusing to put on clean clothing was just being petty and childish and would actually gain her nothing.

She moved to the clothing, and picked them up, regarding them in silence.  While simple, they were still made of a fine material, a simple blue tunic with gold embroidery at the neck, cuffs and hem, with black pants of a light gauzy material, ample material from the waist to the hem. A pair of simple black shoes and silk socks accompanied the clothing, along with a few pieces of actual jewellery.

She quickly pulled on the tunic, pants, socks and shoes, and refused the jewellery. She was a prisoner, and would _not_ play any silly game pretending she wasn’t.

She looked at herself in the mirror.  At least she didn’t look like one of the urchins anymore.

Her mind quickly moved back to Vesuvia, and she found herself thinking about Julian.  Had he realized by now she was missing? What was he doing?  Knowing how concerned he was about her, how easily he fell to panicking if he thought she was in trouble, she felt her stomach twist.

_If I can get out of here, I’m coming home, Ilya, I promise._

She sighed, missing him.  His cool hands, warm smile...they always calmed her, and she felt so nervous right now.  Just his presence usually helped, knowing he was there, that he always had her back.

There was a knock on the door.

Spinning, alarmed, Sabrina felt the magic starting to rise inside her, tingling at her fingertips.

The door opened, and a little old woman entered.  She was tiny, only coming up to Sabrina’s shoulder.  Thin and bird like, her grey hair was pulled back into a tight bun.  Her clothing looked like a uniform, dark grey. Her face was a wreath of wrinkles. Sabrina instantly noticed she wore a black collar of lace around her throat, as well.

The old lady looked up, blinking, shock on her face as she felt Sabrina’s magic trembling on her fingertips.  She raised a hand.

“Ey now, none of that, you’ll hurt yourself!”

Shaking faintly, Sabrina realized she had been expecting the Duke or the bald man again.  Seeing it was only the old woman, she lowered her hands, dropping her magic., letting it wane.  But her words confused her.

“My..what do you mean?”

The little old woman entered the room fully, closing the door behind her, “I was sent to check on you. My name’s Matilda. Are you hungry? I can order some food and drink for you.”

“Matilda. I’m Sabrina..I...what did you mean, I’d hurt myself. What’s going on?”

The old woman’s blue eyes were shockingly bright in her wrinkled face, and she studied Sabrina closely for a minute.  Then she spoke.

“So the rumours are true. You’re not from here, are you?”

“No..no I...I’m not.”  A feeling of panic started to flutter around in her chest.  She didn’t belong there. She wanted to go home.

Matilda took Sabrina’s hand, and patted it.  Sighing, she led her to the bed, and sat, patting the area next to her, indicating for Sabrina to sit.  When she did, Matilda spoke gently.

“I’m very sorry this happened to you, Sabrina.  That collar, the one you’re wearing?  It won’t allow you to cast any magic without your Master’s permission.  Certainly not against him or her in any manner.  And don’t try to take it off, you’ll cause harm to yourself.”

Eyes wide, Sabrina’s hand crept up to the collar again, lightly touching it.

“I...I found that out already, I think.  So that’s what happened.”

She blinked, looking back at Matilda, “Wait.  “Master”?  I don’t _have_ a Master.”

Matilda smiled sadly, “Yes, you do. The Duke is your Master now.”

Anger surged in her, and she stood, “The _hell_ he is!  I take my Masters when I want them, I refuse to just be... _kidnapped_ like this!”

Matilda looked at her, alarmed, and flapped her hands, “Sssh!  Don’t let him hear you! Besides...what are you going to do, my dear?  You can’t leave.”

Sabrina started to pace back and forth, “I...I don’t care if he hears me.  I...I’ll....”

Panic started to form in her chest again, and fear.  What was she going to do?  Did any of her friends even know where she was?

She stopped, looking at Matilda, “Where am I, anyway?”

“Oh. Valdeer.”

She frowned, looking towards the window, where the setting sun was casting it’s last rays, _“Valdeer?_   But...that’s so far away from Vesuvia!”

“Is that where you’re from?”

Sabrina was about to speak, when the sound of a ringing bell sounded in the room somewhere.  Blinking, she turned, trying to find the source.  Matilda rose, “That’s the Master calling me.  I’ll send some food and drink up for you. I assume you haven’t eaten in a while?  Try to eat, and rest.  Everything....everything will be ok.”

Smiling at her, Matilda slipped out the door.

Sabrina crossed her arms, walking to the window and looking out at the sunset.

_No, everything will not be ok.  I want to go home. I want Ilya. I want this damned collar off me.  Do they even know where I am?  Are they looking for me?_

She reached out, and laid her hand on the glass of the window, feeling the cool touch against her palm.

_You kept saying you wanted to save me, Ilya. Well, I guess you’re going to get that chance._

_Please hurry. I...I’m a little frightened._

 

 

The dark sky overhead was filled with stars. The faint chill of morning was starting to lift as the sun started to rise on the horizon.  Right now it was just a faint red line, but promised to be fast approaching.

The small group rested on blankets spread out on the ground.  Asra slept soundly on one, only his shock of white hair sticking out from the blanket.  To the side, two other forms were also asleep, curled together, one taller than the other.  The soft snores from Portia could just be heard from under the blankets.

For his part, Julian sat on a stump a short distance away,  cradling a metal cup of tea between fingers, trying not to get burned. He had risen long before the others, set some tea on to steep, and slipped away a short distance so as not to wake them.

Cautiously blowing on the surface of the tea and wishing it were coffee, he glanced towards where the two women were sleeping.

Asra had started the ritual, and the room had started to waver, seeming to sway and ripple like water in a pond.  There had been a strong sensation of being pulled somewhere.  At the last minute, the door had burst open, and a streak of color had hurtled at them.  When everything had finally stopped wobbling and they had settled somewhere, Portia was facedown on the ground, trying not to vomit from the unexpected portal.

When she had finally managed to get her breath, she had faced angry bombardment from both Nadia and Julian.  Portia had stood her ground, if teary eyed, insisting she was not going to be left behind, not if her brother and lover were going into adventure and danger.

As frustrated as he felt, Julian had bowed out of that particular argument.  He would do the same for Sabrina, and couldn’t fault her for wanting to follow Nadia.  Despite having an additional worry, he let the Countess and his sister work that out alone.

He took a deep breath, drinking the tea, lightly tapping his fingers on this thigh.  He had a desperate need to get moving, to get to her as fast as possible. Whenever he started thinking about what might be happening, he started to panic, to feel a fluttering in his chest that threatened to take over.

But he knew Asra was moving as fast as he could.

They had made four “hops” already.  It took time.  Each time they made a jump, they had to stop and let him rest a few minutes. Then he would concentrate again, and cause a massive surge in his personal magic.  Each time they ended up somewhere else.  The first time they ended up in a field, the second time in a downpour near some mountains. The third time it was almost brutally hot and sunny, and the last time, near a thick forest and running stream.  It was here Nadia called a halt.  Asra wanted to keep going, but they could all see he was wavering on his feet, swaying in place.  A camp fire was set up,  some hot food made. Asra was instructed to eat, drink, and sleep, in that order.  He protested, but his head was soon dropping as he sat near the fire, until the other three ordered him to bed.  He reluctantly went.

The three of them, Nadia, Portia, and Julian, sat around the fire, talking lowly so as not to wake him.  Mostly they talked about how they would get Sabrina out of there. What they could expect.

Eventually, he had to excuse himself and go to bed himself, even though he knew he wasn’t going to sleep.  But talking about her, about what situations she might be finding herself in wasn’t helping his mindset. He wanted her there so badly. Just to know she was ok. That she wasn’t being hurt.

Now he sat, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, not having slept very well at all. Each time he fell asleep he dreamed of her. Of things that had happened.  Being chained by the Devil.  The nightmare that she was sick with the plague again.  Going to Valdeer and finding her dead, her body tossed aside like so much garbage.

Dropping his hand from his face, he started to lift the cup to his lips, to drink, when his eyes fell on the back of his left hand, on the murder’s brand.  Laying the cup on the stump beside him, he idly rubbed the back of his hand with the thumb of his other hand, feeling the faint raised lines there.

It was one of the reasons he still wore his gloves – that and the fact he had just gotten used to them.  But it had been hard trying to help people when they saw that brand. A doctor that had murdered?  Like his eye, it was a part of him he kept hidden from those who didn’t know him well.

His thoughts moved back to one night, as he and Sabrina lay in bed together.  It had been during the winter months in Vesuvia. No snow came to those warm lands, but it was a month of slight chill and storms.  They had lain on their sides, Julian curled around her, his chest to her back, the darkness chilly but the two of them warm under the blankets. Outside the wind had howled, lightning flashing, accompanied by loud thunder.

Their fingers had been linked, and they had been talking quietly about their day, when he had realized she was lightly rubbing her thumb over the raised mark.

***********************

He fell quiet, watching her in the darkness. She seemed lost in her own thoughts, and he waited, knowing she would speak about something when she was ready.

After a moment, she spoke, her voice low.

“Did it hurt?”

“Hmm?”

“When they...branded you? It’s burned in, isn’t it?”

It was quiet for a moment as he thought.

“That’s...er...not really a pleasant topic for two lovers in bed, now, is it?  Why don’t I tell you the story of the time I was accidentally involved in an attempted coup?  There I was, just about- “

She turned faintly, looking over her shoulder at him.  Her face was pale and serious, and not to be put off.  He knew that look. That look always managed to utterly disarm him.

He swallowed, then spoke, “It..uh....it hurt, yes.”

She turned back, running her thumb over it again, gently, her touch feather light, “It never went away? Your mark never...?”

“I...think to heal...I had to have something _to_ heal.  Burns..er...I don’t think they heal well.  Because it’s...er...well...the skin, the flesh is destroyed. Damaged beyond repair, you see.”

She fell silent.

He moved forward slightly, brushing his lips against her bare shoulder, “I survived.  It’s in the past. The future is _here_.”

Still quiet, she was still for a few moments, then brought his hand up, and lightly kissed the back of his hand, lips tenderly touching the brand.

A faint shiver ran up his spine, a light tremble, and he kissed her shoulder again. When he spoke, his voice was almost a whisper.

“Does it bother you?”

  
“Bother me?”

“Well it....it _is_ a murderer’s brand. It can’t be very...enjoyable...to have people see it and know you’re with someone who was accused....I could...er....I could see about trying to get it removed, if you want.”

She raised his hand again, pressing another kiss to it, and whispered, her breath warm on his hand, “If _you_ want it removed, Ilya, do it. But not for me. I don’t care what anyone thinks.  In a way...this brand brought us together, didn’t it?  It’s _your_ hand. So I love it.”

She had turned, looking over her shoulder at him again, smiling.  Another tremble moved through his frame, and he moved forward, sliding his arms around her, pulling her back towards him, his lips taking hers.

****************************************

Now he sat, lost in memories, gazing at his hand. Remembering her face. Her voice.  How she usually called him Julian, but called him Ilya when they were intimate, or amusingly, when she was angry at him.  It was like a personal name for him, when she used it, even though others used it as well.  It was his real name, after all.  Before both he and Pasha had chosen “Julian” and “Portia” to try and blend in more with his new extended family.  When she called him Ilya, he knew he was in for a lecture, a dressing down, or a night to remember.

Picking up the tea again, he blew on it lightly, then took a cautious sip.

He was going to get her back.  They had come through too much for this to keep them apart. He needed her, and he would find her.

 

 

They continued to make those strange hops across the land. Julian was growing more and more used to the strange sensation of being picked up and carried somewhere distant by magic. It wasn’t like when they would use the fountain in the palace garden to enter or exit the Magician’s realm. That was simply like entering water.

This was a strange, wrenching sensation, as if his legs were being pulled one way and his body in the opposite way.  Like when he stepped onto a small boat and it sank under his weight, an odd sinking feeling, only sinking sideways, in two different directions, at once.

Julian grew used to it....but Portia did not.

Each time they travelled, she became almost violently sick.  Keeping her eyes closed helped a little – not seeing the world around her actually twist and warp like a melting painting eased it a little, but she was always reduced to a trembling lump, and sometimes literally had to vomit.

Nadia and Julian fussed over her, her brother finally managing to find a concoction of herbs Asra had brought, to make a tea that settled her stomach somewhat. Enough to be able to stand and move about, at least, without needing to empty her stomach every time.

For his part, Asra attempted to push himself as well, refusing to rest when they all requested it.  Face pale, he shook his head, kept his face down, and kept going.  His voice grew snappy and irritated, and Faust curled around his shoulders, giving the cold eye to anyone who approached him.  Julian couldn’t help but wonder just how far the little snake would go to defend her magician against those she called friend.  Would she actually bite?

Eventually, Asra’s own body betrayed him, and after one long portal jump, he staggered to the side, and went down hard on his knees.  Trembling, he planted his hands on the ground and tried to push himself back up, but his legs refused, and he gave up, kneeling on the ground, gasping to catch his breath, sweat dripping from his face.

This time even Faust chided him for exhausting himself, and Nadia, Portia and Julian helped him to his feet.  A blanket was spread for him, and he was placed there, with stern orders from the others to remain where he was.  Portia started a fire, Julian cooked some of the food they brought with them, and they all sat together, eating.  Faust was given a hefty hunk of partially cooked meat, and she pulled at it happily.

As they sat, eating, Portia spoke, looking over to Nadia.

“So, as far as I understand it....Valdeer  basically...outlawed magic?”

Nadia nodded, “To a degree.  It’s only legally allowed in the running of Valdeer. The government controls it.  Or if you are rich enough, you can have magicians of your own to work for you.  It’s a strange, complicated system.  The magicians are paid – they are not considered actual slaves....but they must obey their masters in everything. Unless their master allows them to leave, they cannot.  They must wear something to indicate they are a magician, usually a collar of some kind.  Unattended magicians are rare – they usually have “bodyguards” to protect them, although the bodyguards are actually guards to make sure the magicians aren’t trying to escape or flee.”

Julian was quiet, pale. He listened, but said nothing, hands tight on the bowl he was holding. He kept his gaze on the bowl.  Nadia glanced at him, and shifted, speaking.

“Perhaps this isn’t the best time to be discussing this.”

His eye lifted to her face, and he offered her a wan smile, “I appreciate the sentiment, Countess, but...we need to discuss it, don’t we?  To understand what we’re facing. What _Sabrina’s_ facing.  We need to talk it out.”

Nadia slowly nodded, then smiled at him, “I have told you many times, Julian. Please call me Nadia. I am almost family, am I not?”

Julian smiled a little stronger this time, “I don’t think I actually can.”

Portia smiled, “Julian’s got an innate respect of titles.”

A faint chuckle went around the group.

After a moment of silence, Portia spoke again, “But....I don’t understand something.  Imprisoning the magicians....how do you do that? I mean....didn’t the magicians rise up?  It’s not like they all fall asleep one day and woke up the next wearing collars...did they?”

Asra spoke, his voice tired, “No.  But...I’m ashamed to admit there were magicians that helped in the coup, and helped ensnare the others.”

Faust had finished eating, and was curled loosely around Asra’s shoulders, draped there like a wet noodle.

Portia blinked, “They helped? Why!?”

Asra shrugged, almost dislodging Faust, “I don’t know. Money? Power? But there’s no way so many magicians could have been...overtaken so quickly without the use of magic.”

Julian shifted, stretching his long legs out before him, “What about the ones that weren’t captured? Valdeer is a big country. I can’t believe every single magician was ensnared so quickly. There must have been some that escaped.”

Asra put his bowl on the ground before him, and leaned back on his hands, “There were.  Some escaped.  Others disappeared, as I said.  Others....it’s believed others have gone into hiding. Trying to rescue the ensnared ones.”

“An illegal underground?” Julian murmured.

“Yes.”

“Well what about those, then?” Portia asked, “Why don’t they rise up and attack or something? Save the others?”

Her brother sighed faintly, and spoke gently, “Pasha, it’s not easy attacking a government.  Think about Vesuvia.  Even a large group that wanted to stop the Coun – Nadia.  She has guards, she has a standing army. Any group wanting to attack her would have to have weapons, armor, and training. Those things are expensive.”

“But they have _magic_ ,” Portia clarified, “They can _make_ weapons and armor. Nadia literally made a sword out of nothing when we were in the Devil’s realm!”

“Because the magic was there for her to use,” Asra’s voice was weaker than previous, “We were all able to just pull on it. Free to use it.  I’ve heard from a few of my friends...the ones that I can still talk to...that they have some sort of system that can block magic.  Towers, or...something like that.  Pylons?”

He frowned, rubbing his face, “Something like that. It blocks all but the strongest magic in public areas.  Even if you don’t have a collar, you can’t just walk around using magic.  And they have people....they’re called Watchdogs.  They’re not magicians, but...they’re sensitive to it. If you try casting magic, even a tiny spell, they can pick it up, home in on you.  It’s just not safe.”

“Asra, you’re exhausted,” Nadia spoke, “And it’s time to rest.”

“But-“

“We’ve come very far today. Much farther than we did yesterday.  If I’m right, those mountains over there are the Spinal Range.  We’re about 2 day’s travel from Valdeer. We’ll reach it tomorrow.”

Julian’s head snapped up, his gaze moving to the mountains, just barely visible in the low light of the dying day.

Close.  They were so close.

“You need to be rested. You’ll be of no use to us if you’re falling over your own feet when we enter Valdeer.”

“How...how will we get in?” Portia asked.

Nadia smiled, “Leave that to me. I can get us in...but once inside, we all need to be careful.”

Sighing mournfully, Asra accepted his limitations, and pulled a blanket over himself.  Within minutes, he was deep asleep.

Julian looked towards Nadia, “We need to work out a plan....something...some way to find her, and then get her out.”

The noblewoman smiled gently, “I have a plan, Julian.  Trust me.”

He sighed, folding his hands together tightly, “This is killing me.”

“You’re holding yourself together very well, Julian,” she said softly, “She’d be very proud of you.”

He gave an amused snort, but said nothing, feeling a little better, a little more ready to face whatever was coming their way.  Nadia was right.  He was holding himself together well.  A year ago he would have been pacing and tearing at his hair, utterly useless and annoying his family.  And while he wanted to pace and tear at his hair....he knew it would be utterly useless and only irritate everyone.

“We’ll get her out,” he said, speaking more strongly than he actually felt,  “Because....well...because I _need_ her out.”

“You better believe it!” his sister chirped, beaming at him


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inside Valdeer

Nadia was correct.

It had only taken them a short while to make the final few jumps over the land before she called a halt. She told the others to set up camp, while she and Portia moved to the bags they had brought with them, rummaging around within. A short while later, the two ladies excused themselves to step into the forest, carrying clothing.

Asra was still resting on a boulder, Julian beginning to boil some water for tea, and starting to reheat some food, when the ladies returned.

No longer wearing her durable travelling clothing, Nadia was now dressed in more luxurious clothing that was still suitable for travel, and wearing her sword at her hip. Her long hair was out back in a simple braid – only a simple pearl comb seated within the locks. Her usual ribbons and jewels were nowhere to be seen. The braid was wound about her head, pinned in place with unadorned pins. She wore a dark burgundy blouse with silver metallic trim, pale cream pants, and leather boots that came halfway up her shins. A dark green cloak hung from her shoulders. A large satchel hung from a shoulder and across her chest to rest against a hip. As the first time Sabrina had seen her in her shop, the Countess had a scarf wrapped around her head, hiding her face in shadow. Nadia looked like a noblewoman ready for travel.

For her part, Portia hadn’t brought any clothing with her, but her own hair had been parted and set into two long braids that fell down over each shoulder. It altered her appearance somewhat, though anyone who knew her would still easily recognise her.

They settled on the blankets set out, and accepted both the tea and food.

Julian perched across the fire from his sister and her lover, and eyed them both, “The fact you’ve changed tells me you’re ready to start?”

Nadia nodded, taking a grateful sip from the cup, “Yes.”

Asra slid from the boulder and sat beside Julian, leaning forward slightly. He looked pale from his exertions, but was still strong enough to start preparing, “So what’s the plan, Nadia?”

Taking a deep breath, the Countess closed her eyes. The noonday sun shone brightly on her dark skin, bringing out the highlights in her hair.

“I will enter Valdeer alone-“

She quickly raised a hand to cut off the protests from three mouths, and continued to speak, “ – long enough to purchase clothing and disguises for you three. Once you are all suitable in appearance for Valdeer, the three of us will enter. I am not familiar with the fashions in Valdeer at this time, so I could not bring anything with me and be sure you would not draw attention. And we do not want attention. We need to blend in as much as possible.”

Asra frowned faintly, “You think we’ll stand out?”

Nadia exchanged an amused look with Portia before speaking, “A Prakran, an extremely tall, slender man dressed all in black with an eyepatch, and a third with white hair, lavender eyes wearing vividly colourful scarves and a snake around his shoulders, and you wonder if we will draw attention? Only dear Portia has any possibility of fitting in without any disguises, and even she will be noticed for her newness in town as it is. Yes, Asra, you are going to be needing disguises and clothing.”

“How are we going to be disguised?” Julian asked, beginning to tap his fingers on his upper arms. Now that they were starting, he was getting eager to get going, “The last time a disguise was used on me didn’t go so well, and it was magical, which we apparently can’t use here.”

Asra looked curiously at Julian, “When was a magical disguise used on you?”

An alarmed look passed over the doctor’s face, “Er...ah...it’s not important right now.”

“No, simplest is best,” Nadia answered, “Simply a change of clothing for you and Portia, Julian. Asra will need a little more disguise, but even that will be easy enough. Bland clothing will be best, so that he doesn’t stand out too much.”

“I’m not comfortable with you going in there alone,” Asra said quietly.

Nadia smiled, “I know. But to be honest, I am looking forward to it. It’s been ages since I did anything like this! Now, I am going to pass myself off as a simple noble merchant woman, in Valdeer looking to open trade with the Merchant’s Guild. This will explain my presence, my newness, and any possible unfamiliarity with local events or news.”  
Julian caught the worried look on his sister’s face, and tried to give her a reassuring smile. In all honesty, Nadia was the one least likely to get into trouble. She had the experience of royalty to help her with her disguise of nobility and had the bearing to pull it off.

 

Nadia only allowed them to accompany her so closely to the gates of Valdeer. There were guards, and she didn’t want any of them to see the others. At the forest line, she instructed them to return to the camp and await her there. She would simply tell the guards she was going in to purchase accommodations for her partner and servants who would be joining her shortly, and then come back out with the clothing. Once they had all changed, they would re-enter the city, and decide what to do then.  
With a good luck kiss from Portia, the Countess stepped from the forest onto the path approaching Valdeer, and strode boldly up to the guards. From the shadows, they watched as she spoke to the guards for a long time. From her satchel it looked like she produced papers, possibly to prove her reason for entering the city, and eventually, they let her in. When she passed through the gate and the massive wooden doors swung shut behind her, three identical sighs of relief sounded.

It was four hours later that Julian heard someone approaching the camp. Cautiously getting to their feet, ready to deal with anyone who may give them trouble, they were relieved to see Nadia stride into the camp with a pleased smile on her face.

“You’re back! It worked!” Portia ran to the Countess and hugged her tightly. With a delighted laugh, Nadia returned the hug.

“I am, and I have plenty of what we need.”

Asra, smiling, was none the less serious when he spoke, “What is like inside, Nadia? Did you see anything?”

Nadia knelt on the blankets as she opened her satchel, now stuffed with clothing, and started handing it out, “There was nothing out of the ordinary, but it is daytime. There are guards about, keeping an eye on everything. They carry spears and swords, it is apparent they are ready for action should the need arise. Julian, this is for you – Asra, here.  
I saw quite a lot of magicians moving about.”

The others were inspecting the clothing being given to them, while listening. Asra looked up from a pale green tunic he was holding, “How are they being treated?”

The Countess frowned as she handed a flowery item to Portia, “It’s hard to say. They didn’t seem to be injured or assaulted, but then no magicians were doing anything other than what they were told, from what I could see. Few of them looked...happy.”

Julian gazed at her over a royal blue shirt in his hand, “I...suppose it’s too much to ask if you saw Sabrina anywhere.”

“I’m sorry, Julian, no. I was looking for her, but...”

"Ah. I figured as much, but..."

“Change into your clothing. I’ve decided on the stories we need to remember. Once we’ve eaten, we’ll make our way to the gates, and I’ll fill you in.”

 

It didn’t take long before they were all assembled and ready to go. While Nadia seemed excited to be doing something so out of the ordinary for her, the others were more nervous. Even just wearing such different clothing seemed to make the other three more aware of just what was going on.

Portia was wearing a lovely white robe with pale yellow roses. A yellow sash around her waist, and yellow sandals with short heels finished the look. She carried a pale green satchel.

Asra looked almost odd in his clothing. Instead of the usual vibrant clothing, his tunic and pants were a pale green with a white sash belt. A brown cloak with hood covered it, and simple black shoes. His clothing was utilitarian and simple – hopefully allowing him to blend in and not be noticed as much. While one didn’t look like a magician, Nadia was aware just how long Asra had been dealing with the magical arts. When one dealt with magic for so long, it could leave an impression behind, and she didn’t want anyone paying any more attention to him than necessary. With his cloak and hood, he could easily blend in with any other traveller.

Likewise, Julian no longer wore his black usual. His pants were a dark blue, almost navy, tunic a royal blue. The sleeves were not nearly as voluminous as his usual white shirt, but cut closer and neat. His pale skin made it hard to have him wear anything that wouldn’t make him look shockingly pale and stand out. Too pale and he looked like a ghost – too dark and he looked sickly. His boots were a soft felt, also black, and came to mid calf. Unable to show his brand or crimson eye, Nadia had lucked out by managing to find a fine pair of black leather gloves that came just to his wrists, and even a pale gold eye patch. It looked far more decorative than useful, possibly worn merely for effect.

As they put out their campfire and gathered the things they would be bringing with them, the Countess spelled out what personalities they would be taken.

“I will play the part of a business noblewoman seeking to make contacts within Valdeer. This will explain my presence and possible unfamiliarity with any recent news. I was going to have Portia play as my partner, but she has refused.” Fondly, she looked at the shorter woman.

Portia blushed, “I can’t. I just can’t. I’m never tried to pass myself off as anything other than who I am, and I’ll just mess it all up.”

“So in that case, Portia will play the part of my maid.”

“Oh, good! I have lots of experience with that!”

Nadia smiled again at Portia, then looked back to the two others.

“Asra, I want you to be a servant as well. I’m sorry I cannot give you a more interesting part, but people tend not to notice servants, and we don’t want anyone noticing you.”

“I’m fine with that, believe me,” Asra said, and pulled up the hood of his cloak.

“As for Julian...”

Nadia looked the tall man over, then spoke, “I think you will play the part of my business partner. I sell clothing; you are a doctor who also sells medical supplies. It’s a field you already know a great deal about. Plus, you know five languages, I believe?”

“Six, actually. Well, seven, roughly.”

“Perfect. Your natural bearing should find you in good stead as a learned man. 

Now. When we pass through the gates, I’ll lead us to where I have booked us some rooms. There we will decide on our next plan of action.”

They set off.

 

Passing through the gate was shockingly easy. Portia had already charmed the guards once, and they willingly let her through again with hardly a glance at her companions. Nadia and Asra kept quiet, filling their roles as simple servants easily enough. Asra kept his head down as much as possible, not meeting anyone’s gaze. He was painfully aware he was walking into the lion’s den.

As they passed through the gates, they entered a city not unlike Vesuvia, and yet a million ways different.

The city streets were well swept and clean. No horse droppings were visible, no dirt or mud. The brick and mortar houses and buildings were brightly painted and decorated in various styles, with vivid curtains hanging from open windows. As they walked, they occasionally heard music drifting from open doors, exotic and beautiful.

People were likewise dressed in finery and silks. The distinction between the classes was very pronounced, with the more wealthy wearing the more vivid clothing. Those in carriages or walking with servants following behind them were like exotic flowers in brilliant sunbursts of color. Their servants wore more mundane clothing, although you still saw a splash of color here and there, denoting rank even here.

They passed open markets, with smells of delicious food and more music playing. They were reminded of their own markets back in Vesuvia, but here they were larger and more pronounced. Shopkeepers opened hawked their wares loudly, calling to passersby to come and see what they had to sell today. Specialty foods from different lands, silks from far away countries, rare furs from cold climes.

Everywhere, there were guards, openly patrolling. They carried shields, spears and daggers on their belts. These were no mere foot guards, they exuded an air of military.

Julian kept quiet, following in Nadia’s lead, as did the others, but his eye was constantly on the move, searching for a familiar face, a head of coppery hair, listening for her voice. He knew the chances of her just happening to be out when he was passing through was minute, but he couldn’t help it. A part of him wanted to catch a glimpse of her....and a part of him was terrified he might, because he wasn’t sure just what he’d do if he did. How hard would it be to stop himself from running towards her, grabbing her by the hand and just attempting to flee with her in tow?

It wasn’t long before he became aware of the situation they were all in.

It took a few minutes, but eventually he saw the magicians among the crowd.

They were never alone. Each one was accompanied by a large guard, usually armed. They kept a watchful eye on the crowd, and on their charge, never straying too far from their side. Every interaction was observed. Every word spoken was listened to.

Even if the telltale collar highly visible around their throats could be missed, the way the magicians themselves moved became painfully clear. Cowed. Hesitant. Unsure.  
Frightened.

It was the movement of a people who knew they were captured. People who had, for a long time, had no control over their own lives, who only lived at the consent of their owners, and knew it.

Julian dropped his eye, focusing his gaze on his shoes. The thoughts of seeing Sabrina like that...unsure and scared... burned a hole in his gut. She was always so sure of her actions, and even when she wasn’t, she pretended she was. She breathed fire and spit sparks, and he suddenly felt so tense and frightened for her.

He almost didn’t notice when Nadia led them up to a grand looking building. White washed to a brilliance, red and gold curtains swaying in the warm breeze, the wooden sign outside proclaimed it as the Dancing Dragon Inn. Inside, she led them up to a series of rooms she had rented out for a few days. They all piled into one of the rooms, and after Nadia locked the door, settled on chairs and the floor, and took stock.

“There are so many guards!” Portia breathed, twisting one of her braids in her hands, “They don’t patrol like the ones back home, they’re just all over the place. This is going to be very hard.”

“They may just be for show during daylight hours,” Nadia spoke, “In the evening, I think it’s likely they reduce their numbers. “Good folk” are all tucked away after hours, so anyone left out on the streets can fend for themselves.

Asra, how are you doing?”

Pushing back his hood, Asra met Nadia’s eyes, “There’s definitely something here that’s blocking magic. I could feel it, almost like a fog, pressing in on me.”

“Is it painful?” Portia asked.

Asra smiled at her, “No. It might be, if I pushed it, but right now, no. But I can definitely feel it’s presence.”

There was silence for a moment. Julian was leaning forward slightly, hands clasped together, resting his thumbs under his chin. After a moment, he spoke.

“We need to find a tavern.”

“This is no time for drinking, Ilya!” Portia glared at her brother.

“No, it’s not,” he agreed, “But I’ve been to a lot of different places, and if you want to hear local gossip on what’s going on, you go to a tavern. Preferably ..er...one that’s not too high class, but not utterly a dive, either. The higher ups don’t ..er...gossip in public, and the dregs of society can’t be bothered. We need a nice....lower middle class place to go, sit, and eavesdrop on conversation.”

“He has a point,” Asra said, “We can’t go in asking questions about what’s going on in Valdeer and if anyone has seen Sabrina. But we can listen. I...don’t know how much of a chance we’ll have to catch someone talking about her, but any information right now can’t hurt.”

“Very well,” Nadia agreed, “I saw what looked like just such a place earlier. It’s not too far from here, either. Julian and I will go – I'm not sure how they view having servants in such places. Asra, you and Portia order yourself some food from the kitchen here – I've brought enough money to do us quite a while. You two can listen here, see if you overhear anything important. Meanwhile Julian and I will eat at the tavern. We’ll be back as soon as we hear anything, agreed?”

Asra stirred, “Even if you hear nothing, come back in about 2 hours and let us know what’s going on, please.”

Nadia nodded. She was aware how helpless Asra was feeling here, knowing he couldn’t use his magic in any sense if anything went awry. Being able to depend on something to keep you safe for all your life, and then not having it there in such a dire situation must be frightening.

“We will. We’ll check in every hour until we return, will that be better?”

His face cleared of the shadows slightly, “Yes, thank you.”

Having a plan in place, they left the room, heading out. Julian and Nadia left Asra and Portia in the main seating area of the tavern within the Inn, while they headed outside.  
It was a short walk to their destination, Julian holding the door open for Nadia as they entered. The tall doctor kept mentally reminding himself over and over not to slip and call Nadia “Countess”.

The tavern inside was somewhat dim, but only for atmosphere. The lanterns on the walls were of good quality glass and cast a warm, inviting light to the room. The tables were covered in red cloth, the chair comfortable with high backs. There was a general hum as the patrons murmured amongst themselves, private conversations kept low so as not to bother anyone else. Servers were making their way around the tavern, taking and serving orders to the patrons. There was a piano in the corner, but no one was playing at the moment. To the far left of the door, the barkeep was filling orders. Everything looked clean and tidy.

Julian felt a faint sense of longing for The Rowdy Raven. There he knew everyone, all the locals. There he was comfortable. This....this was different. While he was no stranger to new taverns and the like, having travelled extensively, he had never been forced to play a different role before, not were the stakes so high.

He moved forward, choosing a table near the wall but located roughly in the middle of the room. after pulling out a chair for Nadia, he sank into the one across from her, folding his long legs under the table.

Nadia leaned forward, speaking lowly, “It’s hard to pick out what anyone is saying here. I recognise at least two dialects here. Maybe three.”

Julian leaned back slightly, his back against the wall – an old habit, “I can make out two, and two more languages. You picked a good place, Nadia. It seems there’s a lot of business types here – ah, our server!”

The young girl who approached spoke pleasantly to them, and wrote down their orders, as both Julian and Nadia ordered a simple wine – nothing that could possibly cloud their heads. After she left, they remained silent, appearing simply lost in thought, while in reality they were doing their best to listen to everything around them.  
Now and again, they would lean forward, and compare notes.

“Well, the Medical Guild is having trouble bringing new doctors into Valdeer,” Julian spoke, while seemingly smoothing out the wrinkles in the tablecloth with his long fingers, “Apparently there is an obscene waiting list to be accepted. I’m thinking bribes are needed.”

“Yes,” Nadia agreed, toying lightly with a necklace she was wearing, “And the Merchant’s Guild is having similar trouble. It’s not known if Puriew is doing it, or someone else. Apparently there are rumors he’s no longer in control of Valdeer.” She gave Julian a meaningful look.

“Meaning,” he finished, “There could be political upheaval going on. Bad for stability and the people. Is anyone saying anything about who might be behind it? Any names?”

“Nothing yet.”

When their drinks arrived, they quietly drank, continually comparing notes. Nothing of interest was coming up, however, and they were starting to get worried.

A short while later, Julian suddenly stiffened slightly, his eye widening. He fixed his attention on someone who had just entered.

“What is it?” Nadia asked, “Do you know that man?”

“No. Er...well...yes and no. I know of him, sort of. Er...well...”

There was a pause. After a moment, Julian unfolded himself, and rose, “Cross your fingers.”

Alarmed, Nadia reached for him, “Julian, wait! What are you-” but he was out of her reach. The only way she could stop him now was to rise from her chair and do so, and that would attract attention.

Cursing under her breath, she leaned back in her chair, and watched, as Julian approached the newcomer boldly.


	5. Chapter 5

Sabrina lay on her back on her bed, looking up at the ceiling of her room. The beautiful crystal chandelier seemed to sway to and fro above her, the room slowly spinning. The candles cast a warm glow in the room. The pain in her face throbbed heavily, her left eye swollen and painful. It felt hot, as if a coal had been placed under her eyelid. Occasionally she shivered faintly, emotions warring inside her. She felt angry, vicious, desperate and frightened, all at the same time.

Earlier that day, she had been allowed to walk around the Duke’s estate. While he called his dwelling a “mansion”, it was closer in size to a palace, as far as Sabrina was concerned. Nothing as large as the Palace of Vesuvia, of course, but enormous in it’s own right. The main building consisted of four floors, housing a dancing room, many bedrooms and seating rooms, a huge kitchen, and dining room. There was a stable with horses and chickens, a carriage house, and three guest houses, each consisting of two floors and five bedrooms each. The courtyard was enormous, with a large fountain in the middle, statues of dolphins and swans gracefully playing over the running water. A large garden with benches stood at each of the four cardinal directions around the fountain.

The Duke had told her she had the run of the grounds all she wanted – but she could not leave. He explained to her, in no uncertain terms, that there were protections in place all around the boundaries of his estate, and any attempt to breach them would result in great agony for her. She had all the freedom she wanted....within his estate. As long as she behaved. When she expressed curiosity, he just smiled, refusing to talk about it any more.

All that morning, she had walked the borders of his estate, looking around, committing everything to memory. Even though she had been warned, Sabrina had to test her limits herself. During an attempt to try and snake up the side of a wall to see if she could possibly slip over it and land in the streets outside, she had started to feel the not so subtle pounding in her head, and she had been forced to give up, dropping back to the ground in furious desperation.

Still, she wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, as the saying went, and she at least was able to stretch her legs and get some fresh air inside her. She made four complete revolutions of the grounds, inspecting everything, memorizing everything in case there ever was any chance she could escape. If anything offered the hope of escape, she would take it. The servants, and the guards, spoke to her politely when they encountered her – the servants moreso than the guards. The Duke’s private guards were clearly being polite to her as they had to, while the servants seemed pleasant enough. It was clear to see which ones were wearing the Magicians’ collar. And those would often stop and look at her curiously. She was new, and not from Valdeer at all.

Oddly enough, her new situation was able to take her mind off her older one. Unable to perform any magic here, she no longer worried about her wayward runes causing trouble. 

That afternoon, after she had returned to her room to eat, and it was shortly after that, that the Duke arrived, to finally explain to her the reason he had kidnapped her.

Asking her to follow him, he took her along the corridor on the third floor, where her room was, to the end, down a long flight of stairs. They passed the second and ground floors, and went deeper. Here the Duke took a torch to light their way, the stone steps becoming slippery with condensation. It grew colder as they continued to descend. Sabrina began to wonder how deep underground they were going.

After what felt like an hour, the Duke stopped outside a set of large double doors. He placed a hand over the center where the doors met, and spoke a single word in magic. 

A private lock.

She took note. Apparently, if you weren’t wearing the collar, you could cast magic – at least where you were allowed to, within your own house. Earlington clearly wasn’t a magician, but could master the simpler spells, as Julian had been able to do in The Tower.

There was a groaning boom, and the doors split, opening inward ponderously, the hinges protesting, rust having accumulated over time. The sound moved from a deep groan to an ear-splitting shriek, before finally croaking silent as they came to a stop.

Sabrina couldn’t see anything – it was pitch dark inside, but the movement of air told her the room inside was vast. And there was a heavy smell, of mildew, age, dust, and...oil?

The Duke stepped forward, indicating again she was to follow. Keeping close enough to him that she was able to see by his torch, Sabrina followed him until he came to a railing, and stopped. Here he held out the torch over what looked like an empty void. Again, he spoke a low word of magic, and suddenly, torches sprang to light.

They stood on a balcony, overlooking a massive room, easily twice the size of the ballroom in Nadia’s Palace. There were torches running all around the sides, hanging from the walls, and one by one they were lit. The light they gave off seemed cold and impersonal, instead of the normal warm glow of fire. The flame seemed to have a bluish cast, and Sabrina squinted at the torches. They looked...metallic?

“Behold.”

As her eyes slowly adjusted to the light, her gaze fell to the floor below..... and the room’s occupants. At first she was unable to make heads or tails out of what she was seeing. Strange, black objects, all angles and lines, jutting out like sea urchins. There was a strange order to them, she could see that much, but just what exactly she was looking at eluded her. It was like her eyes kept slipping over their forms, unable to pick out any sense to them. The fact they seemed oily, reflected back the light, only confused the eye even more.

It took a few more minutes before her eyes finally managed to settle on something – legs, long legs – and then finally everything fell into place with a sickening jolt.

 _Spiders_.

Hundreds upon hundreds of _spiders_.

They were massive, the size of a large pony, or small horse. They stood in rigid rows and columns, unmoving, crouched as if dead, their legs folded up around them. They reminded Sabrina of the ugly wolf spiders that sometimes came into their house before a heavy rain, ugly, evil looking, and _disturbing_.

“They’re not real,” the Duke reassured her, “Or rather, they are, but they’re not alive. They’re _machines. Aren’t they amazing?”_

With his free hand, he grasped her wrist, and turned, tugging her towards the side of the balcony they stood on, where she saw a flight of stairs leading downwards. Almost numb with shock and confusion, Sabrina let herself be tugged forward and then down the stairs, hoping that somehow this would all make sense.

On the ground floor, the spiders were larger, and even more menacing. They were slightly taller than she was, and made of a black, shiny metal. It was this that gave them the appearance of oil, although they all had the same smell of cold oil. As the Duke tugged her closer, she could now see the metallic makeup of each creature. Now she could see rivets holding the parts together, plates joined at junctions, the pistons joining branches of the legs. Gears lay in joints, large sprockets lined up, interlocking to creature necessary movement. Beneath the spiders were what looked like vents. There were large eyes, eight of them, on every spider, but they were black gems instead of actual eyes. They had mandibles of black blades, gleaming sharp.

“Aren’t they beautiful?” he breathed, letting her go, “My glorious creation. My _might. My army.”_

“Army.” Sabrina repeated the word flatly.

He turned, beaming at her, “Yes. My army. And with your help, they will give me everything I have ever wanted. This is why you are here, my dear. This is your _destiny._ ” He spoke in a dreamy voice, as if seeing a perfect future for himself, a religious experience.

“What are you going to do with them?” Sabrina asked, staring at the closest spider. She could see a reflection of herself in the sheen, twisted and unnatural, like a ghoul. Her eyes looked black. She looked away, “What am I supposed to do?”

“Well, that part is easy enough. You see, I had these made a few years back, with the hopes I would be able to use them for my....purposes. But although they are giants of process and technology, they are not alive. I can only power a few at a time, and I need more. _Much more._ ”

He turned, smiling at her, “You are going to give them _life._ ”

Sabrina blinked, looking at him, “Life? What do you mean? I ...I can’t just _make_ life.”

“Well, not life _per se_ , no, of course not! You’re not a goddess. But what you can do is infuse them with magic so that they will listen to my commands. I will be able to give them commands with my mind, and they will all listen to me, all of them, at once!”

Sabrina just stared at him, dumbfounded. 

“I...that much magic would be monumental! It would take years to be able to infuse them all! You’d need a lot of magicians!”

The look on the Duke’s face changed. His grin remained, but it became cold and hard.

“No. Oh no. Not monumental. You can do it, Sabrina. I know how powerful you are. You don’t have years. You have much, much less than that. You’re going to start infusing my creations with life starting tomorrow. One after another after another. I will check on you every few hours to make sure you’re eating and resting. We’ll see how many you can do in a day, and go from there.”

Anger welled up inside her. How dare he tell her what she was capable of and what she wasn’t! She was the magician here, not him! How dare he kidnap her, take her from her home, her friends, to create some sort of...army of spiders! Nothing good ever came of a personal army!

“Like hell I will! No one makes an army for fun! I’m not having anything to do with this! Forget it!”

The Duke’s face darkened, “You may wish to reconsider.”

“Fuck that, and fuck _you_. No.”

Sabrina had expected the backlash that would come from her refusal. Being thrown into a cage. Threatened. Maybe an attempt to bribe her. She had thought she was ready.

She hadn’t been ready for the fist that came flying at her.

Sabrina hit the floor hard, her ears ringing, brain screaming confusion as the world suddenly seemed to turn upside down. Everything tripled, then doubled. Like a wind up toy that had run out of power, she lay, broken, on the floor, unable to move, gasping softly in shock, before the pain suddenly caught up to her. 

The left side of her face felt like it was on fire. Somewhere there was still a ringing sound that she couldn’t place. She tried to move, but her body didn’t want to listen to her mind, and her head felt like it was made of lead, heavy and solid.

She gave a single, watery sob, frightened and confused. It took a while before her brain was able to understand she had been punched in the face. Slowly, as her body started to listen to her mind, she was able to push herself up to a sitting position, hand up to the aching side of her face. Her vision blurred with tears – tears of pain, anger, outrage and a little fear. She tasted blood in her mouth.

“Let that be a warning to you, _bitch_. I do not tolerate such vulgarity in my servants. Defiance will be dealt with, but vulgarity deserves _vulgar punishment_.

I will have someone return you to your room. Tomorrow after breakfast, you will be brought back down here, and we will begin. Do you understand?”

Sabrina fought with herself. Her own will and pride burned, and she wanted to tell him off again, wanted to spit in his face. But to what end? He’d just hit her again, and she had nothing with which to protect herself or fight back. Even when she faced the Devil, she had her magic to call on, and Julian and the others to help.

Here she was alone, with no magic. Her pride would just get her bones broken...or worse.

“Fine,” she grunted, sullen, “But I wasn’t lying. I can’t do what you ask in the time you want.”

“We’ll see about that. Stay there...I’ll have someone collect you.”

The Duke turned, and strode from the room, taking the torch with him. Sabrina was left sitting on the floor, holding her aching head in her hands, in near shadow. She lowered her head, and almost wept.

 

Now she lay in her room, staring at the ceiling. The sky was dark outside, black against her bedroom windows. Downstairs she could hear music and laughter making their way up through the floor. The Duke was entertaining again. 

Since she had been brought here, he seemed to entertain people every night. She didn’t know if it was the same people, or a different group each time. From what she had seen when she walked around outside, he was definitely a social butterfly, there were always people coming and going. Many of his guests had titles. He moved in the circles of the elite.

She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the headache that throbbed there and in her face. Her lip had been split and she had a black eye, but both would heal over time. Tenderly, she raised a hand and touched her lip. She....she had never been struck before. 

At least not that she could remember. She had certainly never been struck in the three years that she could remember. Asra had never hit her, had never gotten angry with her, and the mere thought of Julian getting angry enough at her for that was laughable. Poor, sweet Julian could _never...._

Her mind drifted to him again, wondering what he was doing. How he was handling what had happened. She knew he had a tendency to panic if he thought she was in danger....how was he dealing with the fact she had just...vanished?

Did he think she just up and left?

There was a wrenching in her chest. No. No, Julian knew she would never just up and leave.... _didn’t he?_

She had always told him they were together now. That they belonged together. He’d understand something that happened....wouldn’t he?

Sabrina was starting to feeling panicky. What if he thought she had left him? What if he thought she was gone, that she didn’t want to be with him? 

No.

No, Julian knew better. He had come a long way since they met, and he was a lot more secure in himself. He would have heard that she was there when the fire was going on, then went looking, and disappeared.

Which wouldn’t make him any less panicky.

She took a deep breath, and rolled over onto her side, curling up into a ball, closing her eyes.

Tomorrow....tomorrow would be better.

 

 

In the tavern, Nadia continued to watch as Julian approached the bar, and the newcomer. Her gaze flicked constantly from the doctor to the other man, back and forth, trying to read body language, trying to read facial expression, anything, that would tell her what was going on.

The other man was shorter than Julian, but thicker. He wasn’t fat, but definitely stocky, muscular. He wore simple enough clothing – brown trousers, black boots that came to the knee, a green short sleeved shirt. Around his right wrist he wore a blood red bandanna. Swarthy, his long black hair was pulled back in a thick ponytail that fell past his shoulders.

Julian leaned against the bar alongside the other man, and they seemed to strike up a polite conversation. Neither one really looked at the other, talking like two strangers who were just in the same area for a moment. Talking about the weather, perhaps.

The other man said something, and both he and Julian laughed. It seemed relaxed enough, but Nadia simply didn’t know Julian well enough to have his body language figured out. However, the doctor picked up two glasses of wine he ordered, and motioned for the other man to join them at their table. With an elaborate bow, the other man agreed, and followed Julian back to the table.

Grabbing a chair from an empty nearby table, the other man pulled it over, as Julian handed Nadia the glass of wine, and seated himself.

“Nadia, I’d like to introduce Ferdinand Martinez. He’s...an _acquaintance._ ”

Nadia’s eyes travelled over Ferdinand’s form quickly, taking everything in at once. She was very aware of Julian’s use of her real name, and it made her somewhat uneasy, but she had to trust he knew what he was doing.

“A pleasure.”

Ferdinand, for his part, grinned wolfishly at her, his brilliant green eyes flashing under bushy eyebrows, “The pleasure is mine, M’lady.” His accent was thick and rich, his smile wide and charming. Nadia felt this was a man who could charm his way through life quite easily if he wanted to.

Julian leaned forward, speaking lowly, “Ferdinand is....er...ah...a fellow adventurer, like myself. He travels on various ships doing...er.. odd jobs here and there.”

Ferdinand grinned, “What he’s trying to say, M’lady, is that I’m a _pirate_. The lad recognized my scarf here,” - here he lightly tugged on the red bandana tied around his wrist - “as a member of the Redthroats. Had the good sense to come up and ask if I’d be interested in a drink or two, for “old time’s sake”. What can I say, he knew the code.”

Nadia looked at Julian, amused, “ _‘Old Time’s Sake’_?”

Julian gave a shrug, grinning widely, “It’s a code used among a certain faction within the...uh...ranks.” He raised the glass of wine, taking a drink, eye moving cautiously over the others in the tavern.

“We started talking, and what do you know...this is _Mazelinka’s boy! Ha!_ ”

Ferdinand gave Julian a heavy slap on the back, causing Julian to sway forward, nearly lose his glass of wine, wincing noticeably. He raised a napkin to his mouth, trying to stifle the coughing. A few others in the tavern turned, eyeing the group with a slight distaste, but quickly went back to their own conversations.

Amused, Nadia smiled, “It’s a lucky thing for us, then, that he’s here, isn’t it?”

Trying to ignore his stinging back, Julian carefully put the glass of wine down on the table, and leaned in slightly again, voice low.

“So, what can you tell us about Valdeer? What’s going on here? We’re hearing rumours of political powers moving about, guilds in trouble....and how can we go about finding someone?”

Ferdinand’s face grew serious, “Political powers? Locating someone? Lad, you said something about finding a lost _treasure_. What’s all this, then?”

Nadia laughed as Julian’s face reddened, “A lost treasure? Why Julian, how poetic.”

She turned to Ferdinand, her smile fading slightly, “He’s looking for his lady love. She’s been kidnapped and brought here. She’s a Magician.”

Ferdinand’s eyes widened, “What? Well now, this is a _better_ story than a lost treasure, lad! How could I turn down the chance to help Maz’s boy find his true love? Give me everything you know. When she may have arrived, what she looks like, her name, the works.”

Time passed as they exchanged information. The server returned with more drinks and food, and Julian bought another round for the table, willingly paying for drinks as long as Ferdinand was willing to help.

The hour was rounding close, when Nadia nudged Julian, “We should get back – the others will be expecting us.”

“Right...yes, of course.”

Ferdinand nodded, and drained his last stein, “Right. I have what I think I need. Meet me here same time tomorrow night. I’ll cast my net over the city tomorrow and see what I haul in. I’ve a lot of contacts here, I’ll have something for you by then.”

Julian and Ferdinand clasped hands, the doctor speaking, “Thank you. I mean that, you....have no idea how much this means.”

Ferdinand grinned widely, “I hate this place with a passion, lad. Anything I can do to stick it to the government here, and help Maz’s boy? Just try and stop me. She saved my life once, you know. “

“I didn’t know, that, no.”

“She boarded a ship I had been taken prisoner on. Saw the scarf, knew who I belonged to, and set me free. Talked about you and your sister a lot, she did. Proud as a mother hen, she is.”

Julian blinked, “Wait... _Mazelinka?_ ”

“Got myself all cut up in a fight. ‘My boy Ilya could fix that up no time!’ she said. But you were off doing stuff with that plague, she said. Nasty business, that was.”

Julian stared at Ferdinand like he wasn’t entirely sure what to say. Nadia saved the moment by clearing her throat, “Julian...the others?”

“Oh! Right! Yes!” he stood up, nodding to Ferdinand again, “Same time tomorrow, then.”

 

When they returned to the Inn, they regathered in the same room as before, and compared notes. Asra and Portia could tell by Julian’s face when he entered that he had gotten some useful information.

Asra gently stroked Faust’s head as the snake peeped out from his sleeve. She was keeping herself scarce, aware how dangerous it was for her master here.

“There’s a lot of rumour going around that something’s on the horizon,” Asra said, quietly, “Like an approaching storm. No one really knows what’s going on. Political upheaval? A revolt among the Magicians? People who can leave are leaving. There’s even rumour of a coup.”

“You leaned as much as we did,” Nadia said, removing her sword to sit more comfortably, “There is political upheaval coming, yes. The guilds are in an uproar as they’re having trouble getting new members, or old members to remain true. And yet they’re not taking on new members.”

“Not surprising,” Asra said, “If they think a civil war is going to break out. Money’s not that important if soldiers are going to break down your door.”

“Not so,” Julian said, “Money becomes even more important, and people start hording it. Lending institutions suffer. As do Guilds. All this uncertainty is bad for everything, from business to security. And the uncertainty makes people jumpy. The faster we find Sabrina and get out the better.”

“You found her?” Portia asked, leaning forward eagerly.

“No,” Julian said quietly, “But we have someone here we can trust. Ferdinand Martinez.”

“Ferdinand Martinez?” Portia blinked.

“He’s a Redthroat.”

She blinked, leaning forward again, “You found a Redthroat _here!?_ ”

“What’s a Redthroat?” Asra asked, looking from Julian to Portia, confused.

Portia looked awed, “One of the most powerful Pirate Families ever. They have a lot of power. They wear a red scarf around their necks while at sea, and around their wrists when in port. You don’t cross a Redthroat. _Ever._ ”

Asra frowned, “Can we trust him?”

Julian nodded, “Oh yes. If they say they’re going to help you, they will. They don’t lie, they don’t deal in subterfuge or slyness. If they like you, they’ll help you. If they won’t, they’ll tell you to your face. Honour is _everything_ with them. Their word is law. If a Redthroat lies, any other Redthroat will hunt them down. It’s...er...a big deal.”

“Julian, however did you get this Ferdinand to help you? How much are you paying him?”

“Nothing,” here Nadia interjected, smiling, “He was more than willing to help. Apparently he owes Mazelinka his life.”

“ _NO WAY!_ ” Portia leaned back, beaming, “ _Really!?_ ”

“Really,” Nadia laughed, “When he found out Julian was “Maz’s boy”, he leapt at the chance. That and the chance to help rescue a damsel in distress.”

“This is great!” Portia was almost bouncing in place, “What’s he going to do? Does he know where she is? How will he help us?”

Julian reached out both his hands, making soothing motions towards his sister, trying to calm – and quieten – her down.

“He has contacts here in Valdeer. He’s going to ask around tomorrow. I’m going to meet him again tomorrow night, and with any luck, he’ll have the information we need to get Sabrina and get out of here.”

“Until then,” Nadia said, “I suggest we all try to rest, then get some sleep. It’s going to be hard, but there’s little else we can do right now, and we’ll need to be well rested if we have to move suddenly. Tomorrow, I want everyone wearing their weapons, just in case. Asra, if you’ll be so kind as to get the kettle boiling, we’ll all have some tea, then head to bed. These rooms are interconnected, so should anything happen, help isn’t far away.”

Everyone agreed. Sharing tea, they wound down from the stress of sneaking into Valdeer and trying to find out what was going on. Soon, exhaustion overtook them, and they all made their way to their beds. By unspoken agreement, everyone slept with the doors to their rooms slightly ajar, for added security should the need arise.

They all slept like the dead.

 

 

The next day passed slowly. It was almost painful to have to wait for sunset, before Julian and Nadia could go back to the tavern. The four of them alternated from just hanging about in the main room, eating, or napping time away. Nadia and Portia went out “shopping” as would be expected from a clothing merchant and her servant, but in reality they were just keeping an eye on everything going on. Even if they were going to be leaving Valdeer in a day or two, it didn’t hurt to learn as much as they could in the time they were given.

There was no way to learn any pattern to the guard’s patrolling. There were simply too many of them, and they seemed to crisscross each other’s routes continually. Portia suggested trying to sneak out at night and see if the pattern changed, as Nadia had suggested. If they were going to try and escape, that might be the best way of doing it.

All they succeeded in doing was realizing how difficult it was going to be. Unless they could create some sort of distraction, it was going to be very hard to escape with a Magician in tow. And the longer Asra was in Valdeer, the more his friends worried about his getting caught.

Eventually, time moved on enough that Julian and Nadia were able to leave, and head back to the tavern. Tonight Portia and Asra remained in their rooms. Nadia had managed to buy a few information brochures on Valdeer, and both the “servants” were reading them, looking for any useful information within them. Both Asra and Portia felt uneasy and tense, stuck behind as things were starting to move forward.

 

When Julian and Nadia entered the tavern, they were both relieved to see Ferdinand was already inside, seated at a table. The table he had chosen was well back from the others, pushed up near the abandoned piano, affording them a smaller bit of privacy for talking. Julian cast Nadia a hopeful look as they approached, mentally praying to whomever that the Redthroat had something for them.

“Ah, my friends! I was hoping you would return tonight!” Ferdinand’s voice was clear and warm in the din of the tavern, “Maybe we can trade more stories of our travels, hmm?” Turning towards the bar, Ferdinand waved for drinks to be brought to the table. Turning back to the others, he leaned in, and got right down to it.

“So. I cast many nets. And I have caught many, many little fishes.”

“Fishes are good,” Julian leaned forward as well, eye fixed on the other man, “Er.... _are_ they good fishes? Er..fish?”

Ferdinand leaned back slightly, beaming at the serving girl as she brought over three glasses of wine. When she left again, he leaned back in to the middle of the table again.

“There are rumours of a new Magician in the estate of Duke Earlington. No one remembers seeing her in Valdeer before. She’s kept hidden for the most part – never leaves his property. Short. Pale skin. Hazel eyes. Red hair, tightly curled. Small scar on her chin.”

Julian made a fist under the table in triumph, almost strangling in his attempt to keep quiet, hissing, “That’s _her!_ The scar...all that _and_ that little scar? It _can’t_ be anyone else!”

Nadia lightly patted Julian’s arm, trying not to smile overmuch. She looked back to Ferdinand, “Who is Duke Earlington?”

“Ah. Well. That’s where it gets problematic.”

“I was afraid of this,” she said, as Julian cast a dismayed look towards the Redthroat.

Ferdinand took a drink, cast a somewhat wary look around, then spoke lowly.

“Duke Earlington is quite possibly the _second most powerful_ man in Valdeer, second only to Puriew Morgana. He has his own guards to patrol his property. He has a large group of Magicians working for him. He’s a good man to have on your side, and a dangerous enemy.”

Julian’s hands worried at the napkin placed before him, his eye darting from Ferdinand to Nadia, “Why would he take Sabrina, then? Why come all the way to Vesuvia and kidnap her if he has this much power, and his own Magicians?”

Ferdinand shrugged, “That I don’t know. However....there are more rumours that....old Earlington is tired of being the second most powerful man in Valdeer....and wants to be the _first._ ”

Nadia and Julian exchanged worried glances. With all the talk of something in the air, something coming...a sense of trouble. The Guilds in chaos, people starting to leave....was this Duke Earlington getting ready to start a coup? And was he using Sabrina for that, in some manner?

“I have to get her out,” Julian muttered lowly, almost feverishly, “I can’t....I can’t just sit here. We have to get her out, now. Something terrible is going to happen, I can feel it.”

Nadia reached out, laying a hand on his arm again, “Calm, Julian. We’re not abandoning her. We need a little time to work something out.”

“I might be able to help with that as well,” Ferdinand said, taking another drink of his wine, “But that’s a big might.”

“Anything!” Julian leaned forward, “Name your price!”

The Redthroat scowled at Julian as if he had just been insulted. Julian flushed, leaning back slightly, wringing his hands, “Sorry, I...er...sorry. I....I’m just... _desperate_.”

A more tolerant look replaced the irritated one on Ferdinand’s face, and he took a deep breath, “Right. Well. You’re a doctor, right?”

“Er....right.”

“And you may have heard that it’s difficult for doctors to get started here in Valdeer.”

“I have heard that, yes. Bribes, usually. But you need the Guild’s permission, and it’s hard to get.”

Nadia leaned forward as well, looking from man to man, “You think Julian can bribe the Guild? For what purpose?”

“Not Julian. He wouldn’t have the money. See, how most doctors get around the problem with the Guild, is they get the support of a rich patron. Go to the patron, make an agreement. If the patron agrees to support the doctor and pay the Guild the bribe money, the doctor gives the patron 50 percent of his earnings for a few years, and the patron has bragging rights of having a doctor at their own beck and call. The Guild gets the money, the Patron gets the prestige, and the doctor gets set up in Valdeer. Everyone wins.”

Nadia’s eyes widened slightly, “You think it could work?”

Ferdinand looked closely at Julian, “If the lad can _act_ , yes. He goes to Duke Earlington, asks the Duke to become his patron. There’s no reason he won’t agree....Valdeer is in need of younger doctors....half of what we have now are over 60. But while Julian is visiting the Duke at his estate...”

“He can look around for signs of Sabrina. Maybe even get a message to her, if it’s safe.”

Both Nadia and Ferdinand looked at Julian.

For his part, he looked paler than normal. He swallowed hard, adam’s apple bobbing as he did, but there was a firm look to his face. He was anxious....but resolute.

“Right. So. How do I go about contacting this Duke?”


	6. Chapter 6

The next day started off rainy and wet. Thunderstorms came in from the east, and just after dawn, the skies opened. The streets were mostly abandoned, occupied only by the few that simply had to go out and conduct business. The majority of motion in the streets was by carriage. Small streams formed, washing bits of debris down into gutters.

Inside the rooms at the Inn, the small group of friends and family from Vesuvia were doing what they could to get ready for the day’s activities. The night before, Ferdinand had gone over what the plan was with Nadia and Julian, the best way to approach Duke Earlington, and how to go about attempting to get his endorsement.

Asra had gone downstairs and ordered breakfast for the group, and had it delivered up to the rooms. They were all gathered into Nadia’s room, eating, and planning. Julian had already downed two large cups of coffee, and was trying to work on a third. Portia was keeping it out of his hands, claiming he’d be nervous enough as it was – no need for extra shaking going on.

Nadia had slipped out during the downpour and purchased a new set of clothing for Julian. Playing his role of trying to coax an endorsement out of the Duke, he was going to have to dress the part. Normally, a doctor wanting such an endorsement would go all out, attempting to look competent, well to do, and more than willing to rub elbows with the elite. He couldn’t go in dressed in normal “day” wear such as he was wearing, no matter what the latest fashion was in Valdeer.

“According to Ferdinand,” Nadia said, drinking tea from a fine china cup, “he will have someone tell the Duke that Julian wants his endorsement, so he’ll be expecting him this afternoon. Julian just has to go in, and convince Earlington that he wants the endorsement. Meanwhile, he can keep his ears and eyes open to anything that might tell us where Sabrina is and how to get her out.”

“’Just’,” Julian muttered into his nearly empty coffee cup.

“You’re always saying you wanted to be an actor, Ilya,” Portia encouraged her brother, “Well, here you go.”

“That’s completely _different_ , Pasha!” Julian stared at her, “If I get on the stage and make a mess of it, the worst I can expect is booing, maybe a rotten tomato thrown at me. If I mess this up...”

“You won’t mess up,” she said, gently, “You are a good actor when you’re serious about it, Ilya. Just don’t try to be extravagant or show off. Just play the part normally. You’re a doctor that really, really needs his endorsement, so you’re humble and nervous.”

Squeezing his hands together, Julian mumbled, “Well, I have the latter down just fine.”

“It shouldn’t be too hard,” Asra said, gently encouraging his friend as well, “you’re playing the part of someone new to Valdeer, so you won’t be expected to know anything about the place. You can’t really say anything that will make you stand out as a stranger here, because he will know you are. And it’s not like you’re just pretending to be a doctor, you really are. Just keep calm and you should be able to do this.”

“Just don’t go off the plan if you do see Sabrina,” Nadia warned, “You don’t know her, remember. Even trying to get a message to her will be very dangerous. Just get a good look at the place, see if you can see any places we might be able to sneak in, find out where she’s staying, how many guards he has. Remember, this is for surveillance only. The rescue will come later.”

“Right. Yes. Got it,” he nodded, still wringing his hands slightly, “Look around first, rescue later.”

 

Sabrina’s breakfast had been tasteless. In all honesty, she had to admit she couldn’t really even remember what she had had. Some sort of grain dish and a pastry. She hadn’t been thinking about what she was eating, she had been trying to figure out how to do what Earlington wanted.

Or at least make it _look_ like she was doing what he wanted.

Even now, her face still throbbing slightly, she was resolute she _wasn’t_ going to actually bring his army to life. Nothing good ever came of one person having their own army. A country, yes. A city, yes. But one person? That didn’t say defence, that said attacking. Where people were hurt. And she didn’t want _her_ magic used in that.

The problem was there was no way Earlington was going to just take her word that she had done it. He wouldn’t let her work away at it and then let her go, only to attempt to wake them up the first time whenever he wanted to attack something. No, he’d try out the first one she worked on. So that one, and at least a few others, had to be active right at the start.

She wished Asra was there. Not even just for security, for help in getting away from there, but just to talk to about _how_ to do this. She’d never really done this before. The closest thing she could ever remember doing in her three years of memories, was when she made a little paper doll come to life once, and do a silly dance. Asra had been ill in bed with a head cold, and she had wanted to cheer him up. He had been utterly delighted with what she had done, but that was nothing compared to this. It had been small, made of very light material, and she had been right there, beside it, making it move. Now it was a massive iron creature, and she had to allow Earlington to command it from a distance. And a distance from her.

Could she even _do_ that? Could she make something that listened to someone _else?_

An idea slowly formed in her mind. Maybe....just _maybe_. But even more than that....a way to stop it.

She had just worked out something when her door opened, and the bald headed man came in.

“Master is ready for you.”

Sabrina narrowed her eyes. He hadn’t even knocked. She could have been dressing.

Standing up, she silently followed the man out and down the long stairs.

It had been this same man who had come for her after Earlington had left her beaten on the floor of the chamber below. Utterly devoid of any mercy or compassion, he had walked up to her, grabbed her by the wrists, yanked her to her feet, and dragged her back to her room. Sabrina entertained the thought of kicking him in the shins a few times....at least once in the ass....but kept quiet and tried her best to keep pace with him. At her room, he opened the door, shoved her in, and shut the door. Apollo, his name was.

No help there.

Down in the main chamber, he motioned for her to start, and then left, taking up a position by the door, standing guard. His job was clearly to make sure she didn’t try to leave, and did what she was told to do.

Cursing in her mind, she approached the first of the giant spiders, and started.

Laying a hand on the cold metal, she suppressed a shiver. The metal even _felt_ oily, and almost like it was humming, vibrating just slightly under her palm. She knew it must be a figment of her imagination, but all the same it raised goosebumps on her arms, a queasy feeling in her stomach. Doing her best to ignore it, she pressed on.

Sabrina gathered her magic about her, hesitantly at first. She waited for the pain, for the kickback to snap into place, but there was nothing, and she allowed herself to relax slightly.

She let her magic gather down into her hands, ending up in her palm, and she started to gently “push” the magic into the spider. As she did so, she envisioned the aura of the Duke as well, using images of his face, the sound of his voice, to work it’s way into the magic.

 _This is who you will listen to_ , her magic said, _this is your master._

She continued to feed her magic into it, using her own force to sink it in, and wrap it into place. Visually, she imagined a small white ball of magic, settling down into the very center of the spider, and putting out tendrils, roots, sinking and settling into place.

The first few would have no guards, she decided. She didn’t want Earlington to see what she had planned.

Standing back, she studied the spider she had just worked on. There seemed no change...except for the eyes. Maybe it was her imagination, but the eight black gems on the stop of the spider’s head almost seemed...brighter. _Gleaming_ , perhaps.

Sabrina shivered, not comfortable, even though it was her own magic.

Steeling herself, she moved on to the next one.

After completing four of these spiders, she felt empty inside. As if she had used her own internal organs instead of magic. She felt tired, and drained, and very hungry. She remembered Asra teaching her, when she had started using magic again after....after being...dead....that when you used a lot of magic, it used energy from your body. And your body needed to replace that energy. Using a lot of energy was no different whether it was from using magic, or climbing a mountain. If it wasn’t replaced, it took from the body, which was bad. So you had to eat, to feed it that way.

She had walked, a little shakily, to the stairs leading up to the balcony, and sat, resting her head on her knees.

“Ah. Here we are.”

The voice almost turned her stomach, but she lifted her head, and watched as Duke Earlington made his way down the stairs. Today he was wearing different clothing – dark grey trousers and jacket over a white shirt. He looked as immaculate as ever. Sabrina assumed he must be preparing for another party.

The Duke grinned as she cast a hate-filled look his way, but ignored it otherwise, and passed her, stepping down to stand before the spiders.

“They already feel different. Tell me what you did.”

Getting to her feet, Sabrina made her way to stand beside him, “I did what you asked. I set a spell in them that would move them, under your command.”

“How many?”

“Four.”

He looked at her, narrowing his eyes slightly. When he spoke again, it wasn’t to her, though he kept his eyes on her, “Apollo. How long have you both been down here?”

“An hour and a half, Master.”

There was silence.

“You will have to go faster,” Earlington said.

Defensively, Sabrina spoke, “I’ll get faster as I go. It took longer because it’s a new spell. But I told you, I can only do so much in a day. It tires me out, and it’s not that I just get tired. If I don’t replace the energy-”

“I am aware of how magic works,” he cut her off, looking at the spider again.

Sabrina spoke before she was aware she had been going to, “Why does Valdeer hate Magicians so much?”

Earlington suddenly looked at her. His dark eyes were almost blazing, and Sabrina took a step back, suddenly afraid. Had she gone too far? 

He turned towards her, and she found herself flinching back, cringing. Even as she did it, she felt shame and hate towards herself. _Coward!_ , she mentally snarled at herself, _Oh you coward!_

When he spoke, however, there was no anger in his voice, completely under control.

“You would not understand, my dear. Suffice to say, your kind does better when they are....controlled.”

Anger welled up in her, and her mouth opened, to snap and snarl, but he spoke again, cutting her off.

“How do I activate them?”

Strangling down her fury, Sabrina swallowed a few times, then cleared her throat.

“Just command them. The activation word is “Commence”. Use that, and they’ll activate, and wait for your command.”

Turning back to face his standing army of spider, he paused, then spoke loudly, and clearly.

“Commence.”

Four of the black spiders suddenly shifted. Gathering their long legs in under them, they rose up, spreading their legs to give them perfect balance. Ponderously, four of them took two steps forward in perfect unison. Their legs, tapering down to near lethal points, clacked loudly on the stone floor as they did. There was a _shrieking_ sound as bladed mandibles scraped against one another, as if sharpening them.

Sabrina felt a faint stuttering in her chest as they activated. She took a step back, feeling almost...dirty. It was her magic, yes, but they seemed so evil, so...unnatural. The shadows they cast seemed filled with menace. She had the vague, uneasy sense they were somehow watching her.

“How do I get them to do something? Do I have to speak aloud for every command?”

Sabrina passed a hand over her face, “Yes. I can make it so you can command them silently, but I would need something of yours to bind into them. All of them.”

Finally, he turned back, looking at her, “Something of mine? Clothing, you mean?”

She shook her head, “No. Something of yours. Like, your body. Hair, or blood. Something like that.”

He paused. Narrowing his eyes, he took a step towards her, “Blood. You want my _blood_.”

A faint shiver ran through her as he stepped towards her. A part of her was expecting another blow, and she fought off the urge to back up, away from him. She lifted her head, looking up at him, “If you want to command them silently, yes. They need to be bound to your body for mental communication. If you don’t believe me, you can ask any of your other magicians, they’ll tell you the same thing.”

Earlington smiled, his face almost predatory, “You think I will allow you near me with a knife?”

Anger welled up in her, and she spoke without thinking, “You’re not an idiot, so no. Although considering you can probably make my brain explode if I hurt you, I’m surprised you think I’d even try. Use the blade yourself, it doesn’t matter. Get your blood in a bowl, bring it down, and I’ll bind them.”

“And let you use the blood for some other purpose?”

She grunted, “Do you _want_ this or not? You want silent communication, that’s the only way I can think of. Besides, what am I going to do? Curse you? I’m stuck here, remember? It’s not like I can run away. If you feel funny you can strangle me in my sleep or something. I don’t need a lot. A single fingerprint of blood for each will do.”

The Duke fell silent, watching her. He opened his mouth, to snap something at her, and then paused. A different look came over his face, and he spoke.

“You’re unnaturally pale.”

“Thank you.” she snapped.

He scowled, “I mean more than normal. What have you done?”

Turning, Sabrina walked back to the stairs and sat, “I just infused four giant mechanical spiders with the ability to move under their own power. Heavy, metal spiders. I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I’m cold.”

Eyes narrowed again, he spoke, “How do I turn them off?”

“Retire.”

Earlington looked back to the spiders, and repeated the word she spoke. The giant spiders stepped back into their original spots, and sank down, setting their legs back as they were, once again looking identical to the ones around them. He turned back, and regarded her in silence for a minute.

“Apollo.”

Above, the bald man stepped forward, “Master.”

“Take Sabrina back to her room. Have food and drink brought up to her, and see about getting her something warmer to wear tomorrow.”

Sabrina blinked up at him. Before her, the Duke studied her in silence for a minute, before moving. He stepped forward, and knelt down before her on one knee, startlingly close to her. She leaned back, away from him. When he spoke, his voice was different. Closer to how it had been when he had first spoken to her, warning her not to drink so much. Gentler.

“Sabrina, listen to me. This I am asking of you.....if you do this willingly, it would be so much _easier_ on you. I am sorry I struck you yesterday. But I will not tolerate such vulgarity in my house. You should not have made me angry. I know this is hard on you, but you are _so powerful_. If you did not oppose me, I would relax my constraints around you. You would have more _freedom_. I would allow you to leave the mansion and walk in the city. _Anything you want_ would be brought for you to use. Anything you desire would be yours. I would even give you control over the other magicians within my household. You could have them working for you, if you just....if you just did this for me. Freely. _Willingly._ ”

His voice softened even more as he spoke, almost pleading with her.

As he had started talking, Sabrina had lowered her head, letting her hair fall around her face. She hid behind it, like a curtain. With each word he spoke, her heart pounded harder, though not from excitement, but fear, eyes wide. She didn’t like the tone he was using, a soft, intimate cast to his voice.

He sounded crazy. Insane. He was asking her to willingly create an army for him, and in return, as reward...she would be allowed to be less of a slave? He said nothing about freeing her, taking off the collar. Would give her control over the other magicians....as if that were some sort of reward for being good. The way he flipped from striking her yesterday to begging her to be nice.

Other things he said caused her to mentally flinch. “You should not have made me angry.” Not an apology for striking her, but a kind warning.

He seemed utterly unstable, and she was frightened by it.

“I...” she fought desperately for something to say. She wanted no part of it, but to throw it back in his face might anger him, “I’ll do what I can. But I don’t want control over the other magicians. I just want to go away. Just let me go.”

There was silence. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him reaching towards her hair, as if to brush it back from her face, and she jerked back, not wanting to be touched.

Something passed over his face, and he drew back, now a neutral expression there. He stood up, and spoke again.

“The offer stands. For now, eat, drink, and rest. I will allow you to rest for the rest of the day, and tonight. Tomorrow, after breakfast, you will start again. I want five done by noon. And five more by evening meal. At any time you wish to take me up on my offer, let me know. For now, I must get ready. I am expecting a guest later.

I will have the blood ready for you when you come down tomorrow.”

With that, the Duke turned, and passed her, walking up the stairs and disappearing. Above her, Apollo spoke, “Come.”

Slowly, trembling faintly, she rose, and started up the stairs.

 

Hours passed. The rain stopped, and the sun came out, warming the air. The water on the streets began to dry up, and people left their houses to move about again. It was mid afternoon, when Julian approached the gates of the Earlington estate.

Portia accompanied him this far. Playing her role as servant, she did her best to look subservient but couldn’t always manage it considering it was her brother she was with. Of everyone who had travelled to Valdeer to look for Sabrina, it was agreed that Portia would be most likely to keep Julian calm and focused as he prepared for his most important role.

Julian kept trying to remind himself what Asra had said. He didn’t have to worry about seeming like he knew anything about Valdeer, because he was thought to be a visitor anyway, and he didn’t have to pretend to be a doctor. The two hardest parts were already taken care of.

Portia only hoped any anxiety Julian was showing would be thought was due to his desire to receive the Duke’s patronage.

His sister had to admit he looked impressive.

No longer wearing the different blues of his “usual” Valdeer clothing, now Julian was wearing dark greens. Long, slender cut breeches were tucked into his black boots. His shirt of the same color had more voluminous sleeves, though still not in the style he usually wore. He wore a black silk sash tied around his narrow waist. The collar of his shirt was open at the throat in a relaxed cut. He wore a pale, almost cream colored cloak around his shoulders, with a fine gold chain that ran from shoulder to shoulder across his chest, looping down gracefully. His hair had been washed and carefully tended to with fragrant oil, so each curl was well defined and glossy.

He still wore his black gloves and pale golden eyepatch. With his dark auburn hair, the clothing and colors Nadia had picked out for him, he looked every inch the well to do doctor. Impressive, modern and confident.

If only he _felt_ that way.

The gate of the Earlington estate was large, and made a heavy wrought iron. The bars were curled and twisted in such a way they looked like reeds. There were even iron geese set in alongside, making it appear one was looking at the edge of a pond.

“Very fancy,” Portia said quietly, peering in through.

“A gate is still an obstacle, no matter how fancy,” Julian muttered. He was trying hard not to start wringing his hands. He kept making fists and relaxing, fists and relaxing, as if he simply couldn’t keep his hands still.

“You got this, Ilya. You can act. You’re just looking for a rich patron, is all, remember? And having a look around.”

“And trying to get Sabrina out of someone’s estate, who wants to start a coup with the leader of a country that hates magicians,” he muttered darkly. Portia swatted at him, shushing.

“Someone’s coming.”

Both Portia and Julian straightened up as someone approached the gates. It was a tall gentleman, taller even than Julian himself, though built much broader. He was almost rectangular. He wore all black, and had a head of steel grey hair. He looked to be in his mid 60’s.

“Solomon Hartfield?”

The name was one Julian had chosen before leaving the Inn. It had been a name he had used once, long long ago, while at sea, and he felt it was probably the only one he would be familiar enough with to respond to.

“Er..yes, here I am.”

“Excellent.”

The manservant unlocked the gate, and opened one side of it, “Please. Follow me. I’ll take you to Duke Earlington’s drawing room. Will your servant be joining you?”

“Oh, no. Thank you. Er....” he looked at Portia, “you can head back now.”

Portia had gleefully volunteered to join Julian within the estate, but her brother had adamantly refused. It had led to a fight, somewhat loud, as the siblings argued. Portia had insisted Julian thought she wasn’t capable of looking after herself. Julian said he wasn’t going to risk anyone else he cared about getting caught up in the insanity of Valdeer. Nadia was forced to intervene, and agreed with Julian. While a second set of eyes would be helpful, if something did go wrong, there would be two to be rescued, and not one. She would have gone herself as Julian’s “business partner”, but the risk of the Duke recognizing the Countess of Vesuvia was too great. And there was no way anyone would let Asra risk himself.

So Julian went alone.

As he moved through the gates, Portia attempted to cast him a supportive look, smiling at him. Once both he and the manservant turned their backs, however, and the gates clanged shut, Portia was struck with a sickening feeling. It was like seeing a prison cell door slam shut on her brother, and she remembered the fear she felt when he had been sentenced to death in Vesuvia.

Taking a deep breath, she turned, and started to make her way back down the street, unconsciously mirroring her older brother’s habit of wringing his hands.

 

Inside the estate, Julian couldn’t help but gawk around at everything he saw. While it wasn’t the Palace, the Duke’s mansion was certainly no poorhouse. Statues were everywhere. The grass and gardens were immaculate. Cobblestone walkways ran straight, and were kept clean of everything but the smallest leaves from the numerous fruit trees that lined the gardens. Some of the buildings, including the mansion itself, was whitewashed, gleaming brilliantly in the bright sun. Curtains, banners, flags...all were bright red, gold, brilliant blue. Color was everywhere, as was actual gold. As the manservant led Julian up to the main doors, they passed two golden statues lining the stairs. They were of beautiful women, wearing long flowing robes, long hair down to their knees, gowns and hair seemingly blowing in a gentle breeze. He was trying to memorize everything about the area, the gates, the buildings, every hedge and flower.

There were servants everywhere, and many of them wore collars.

Julian studied them closely.

They were all ages, shapes, sizes and genders. There was even, he was dismayed to see, at least one child. He looked to be about 10, possibly younger, with a bright yellow collar of fine silk. The attempt to make it look carefree and innocently childlike sickened him, and he had a strong urge to tear it from the child. Only his knowledge it would possibly harm, even kill, the child, stayed his hand. No child should wear a collar of imprisonment.

All the magicians wore different collars. Some were fine lace, others more utilitarian leather. The ones with fine lacy also wore delicate finery. Julian guessed they were the house workers, those that worked alongside the owners. The ones with the leather were more likely the groundkeepers. They were kept away from “polite society”.

Different collars....but all wore the same expression.

Tired. Resigned. Neutral expressions with no feeling behind them. Even the child seemed empty, somehow. They moved through their daily chores mindlessly, emotions and feelings locked away deep inside themselves.

He felt more and more ill.

And there were a lot of guards moving about.

Not as well equipped as the guards of Valdeer itself, of course, but they wore bright uniforms that clearly marked them as security. A dagger and a sword sword hung from their hips. All were in good shape, well muscled and lean. They were clearly able to handle most trouble that might arise.

His gaze continued to move about the grounds. He took in everything. The walls around the estate. The main gate, but also a second gate a goodly distance away, on the west wall. He had noticed what looked like stables back from the main gate, which meant horses. Which meant a possible escape route? Horses were fast. How many were in there?

Inside the mansion, the luxury didn’t stop. The floor of the main hall was marble, beautifully white. Red carpets lined the walkways. Chaise and tables with crystal lamps lined the halls. The windows had red curtains, warm breezes making them sway. There was a scent of expensive perfume on the air.

“Excuse me. I will let the Duke know you are here.”

“Of course.”

The manservant turned and disappeared through an archway to the left.

Julian continued to look around. Even here, servants were coming and going. People cleaning, people tending to the running of the mansion, just like you would see in Nadia’s palace.

The entire time he had passed through the main gates, Julian had been looking for her.

He knew it was highly unlikely she was just standing around in the mansion. If she had been taken for some nefarious purpose, then she was likely in some sort of...cell. Prison cell, like he had been. Chained to a wall, or...tied up somewhere.

He swallowed.

_I can’t allow myself to panic. She needs me to be calm._

“Ah! Doctor Hartfield! I am so pleased to meet you.”

Julian turned, and laid eyes on the Duke for the first time.

The Duke was almost as tall as he was, though Julian had a few inches on him. He wasn’t as slender as Julian was, though. His fine grey clothing, neatly trimmed hair and beard all exuded riches and luxury. There was an arrogance about him that instantly set Julian’s teeth on edge. He wasn’t sure if it was the man himself, or the knowledge that this was the person who had torn Sabrina away. Regardless, he had to force himself to smile, play his role, and offer the Duke his hand.

“The pleasure is mine, Duke. I’ve heard good things about you.”

Grinning, Duke Earlington took Julian’s offered hand, and shook it, “Ah, then you haven’t been talking to the right people.”

Julian politely laughed slightly, seething inside, letting go of the Duke’s grasp.

“I hear you’re newly arrived to Valdeer. Only a few days here?”

“Ah, yes. My business partner and I came to see about starting trade between our country and Valdeer.”

Earlington motioned for Julian to move towards the archway he had just entered from, falling into step beside him as he did, “And what do you think of our fair Valdeer?”

“It’s lovely,” Julian kept his eye on their path through the archway. The Duke was leading him towards open double doors to what appeared to be a seating arrangement outside. White gauzy curtains billowed in the breeze, “The markets are very clean and neat. Everyone seems pleasant enough. Charming, actually.”

As the two men stepped outside, Julian saw they were on a little patio. There were wicker chairs and tables, with a fine linen tablecloth. On the table stood a tall bottle of wine, condensation thick on the sides. Two glasses were set up, and a servant stood to the side, ready to serve as needed. Duke Earlington motioned for Julian to seat himself on one of the chairs.

Folding his legs gracefully, Julian sank into one of the chairs, keeping an eye on the Duke.

Earlington sank into the chair opposite him, and nodded for the servant to begin pouring.

“Where is it you’re from, Dr. Hartfield?”

Julian had been studying the Duke all the while he had been talking to him. The arrogance continued. Here was someone clearly living in the higher end of the city, surrounded by riches and luxury. To impress him, the doctor needed to be seen in a similar light.

“Rundall. Are you familiar with it?" Julian waved his hand as he spoke, "Sleepy little seaside villa. I grew up there with my siblings. Eventually moved to one city after another...I fear I find the more....rural areas a little too...bland for my tastes.”

The servant offered the glass of chilled wine to Julian, and he took it, with thanks. The glass was cold in his hand, despite the heat of the day. The faint whisper of magic was there. Living with Sabrina, he was more aware of it’s presence now. He took a tentative sip. The drink had a strong flavour, with a smoky aftertaste.

“Yes, I understand that,” Earlington said, taking a sip of his own wine, “Some of us are destined for grander things, aren’t we? Not that there’s anything wrong with the more....simple...people and their tastes, of course. But some of us rise to the top, hmmm?”

“Indeed.”

There was a slight lull in the conversation, and Julian looked around the area they were in. Desperate to keep the conversation going, but not sure how, he cast about desperately, looking for something to talk about. Thankfully, the Duke himself aided him.

“How do you find the weather here in Valdeer? I fear our winters here may be a bit chillier than you are used to.”

“Oh, Rundall had winter. I actually find I miss the snows, at times. It won’t be a bother.”

The Duke smiled, and took another sip of his wine. He studied Julian intently, and Julian felt the weight of the other man’s gaze. He fought not to fidget with his wine glass. He needed to appear suave and worth the Duke’s time. After a moment, Earlington spoke again.

“You’ll have to forgive me. I don’t normally jump so swiftly into business – it’s rude and crass, but I have much to do today – I have been invited to a party this evening and must make preparations. I hope you will forgive me.”

“Oh no, I completely understand. Please, do what you must.”

Taking another drink, Earlington studied Julian intently over the top of his glass. Swallowing, he spoke.

“Why should I give you my patronage, Solomon? Sell yourself to me.”

Folding his hands, Julian grinned, leaning back in his chair, “Why? Because I’m good. I’m well travelled....I’m conversant in seven languages, I have experience with many illnesses, diseases, and injuries. I’ve spent time working on miner’s injuries, sailor’s injuries, and just about any common illness you can think of. I have experience with the Red Plague, operations, and amputations.”

Earlington studied Julian quietly for a moment, then spoke, “You’re lying.”

Julian went cold. Heart pounding, he felt the blood drain from his face, “I...er...what? I’m sorry?”

“There is no way a doctor your age has that much experience. You’re not young, but you’re hardly grey. You expect me to believe you’ve earned that much experience?”

Feeling his heart settle, Julian grinned, leaning back in his chair again, raising his glass, “All true, I assure you. I left home at a young age. I didn’t begin formal training until I was older, yes, but I tended to ....throw myself into situations where I learned on the fly, much to the chagrin of my soon-to-be-teachers. I confess, I found myself a captive of pirates at one point, and was forced to lie to stay alive. I made most of it up as I went along, but by God I learned my way around a human body.”

Earlington gawped at Julian for a moment, then burst into laughter, “I believe you! You’re too outrageous to be lying.”

He took another drink, “I like you, Solomon. I think you’d fit into Valdeer quite well. You have my endorsement.”

Julian blinked, “I...er...oh? Well...wonderful!”

He smiled, though inside he was crestfallen. While it was good Earlington believed him, he hadn’t expected to be accepted so easily. There was no real reason to stay here now, and have a look around.

Still, he shouldn’t complain. He did manage to get a good look around, had some information to share with the others, and hadn’t been caught.

Julian took another drink of the wine.

Earlington laid his glass on the table, and stood. Swiftly, Julian rose as well. The Duke held out a hand to him, “Come back tomorrow afternoon. I’ll have the papers done up to make it “official” for the Medical Guild. They’ll have questions for you, of course – anyone can just pretend they’re a doctor. Then we can talk about where to set you up.”

Julian shook the hand, “My thanks, Duke. I truly appreciate this.”

“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll be paying me back. Half of your yearly profits will come my way – but don’t worry, you won’t find yourself in the poor house. Please, stay and finish your drink. Have a look around, if you like. Do you enjoy parties? I entertain a lot, play your cards right, and you could find yourself rubbing elbows with some of the elite of Valdeer.”

“Who doesn’t enjoy a good party?” Julian grinned.

A final pump of the hand, and Earlington turned, heading back into the mansion.

Julian remained where he was, feeling a sense of victory and relief. But he wasn’t about to throw away this chance.

He would explore more.

 

Moving about the grounds, Julian was able to get a better, closer look at the estate. There was little he could really see that gave him a lot of hope for getting Sabrina out of there. There were two gates – the larger, main gate, and a smaller one to the side. That one didn’t look as used as the main one, and he thought it was likely it was unable to open. Meaning once he found her, they would have to get out by the main gate. Or over a wall.

Once he found her.

There was still no sign of her. Julian grew more convinced that she was held in a cell somewhere in the mansion. And that was the main place that was off limits to him. How was he going to be able to go in there and start nosing around the rooms?

Julian eventually found himself standing beside the fountain in the middle of the garden, staring into the water, trying to think of another plan of attack.

 

That was how Sabrina found him.

She had been walking on the third floor, having rested up from her work below. Having eaten and rested, she felt better, although still tired. A part of her wanted to go outside and sit in the sun, but another part of her didn’t want to be around anyone else. She wanted solitude. A place to think.

The whole situation was distressing. Making an army. And how Earlington had acted towards her. One moment he seemed like he hated her, the next like he wanted to befriend her. But no matter what he said, she couldn’t get past the fact he punched her in the face.

She lightly touched her left eye. It was still swollen and painful, though she could at least see out of it now. Her lower lip was still swollen where it had been split. Apollo had asked her if she wanted the Duke’s healer to come up and magically heal it, but she had refused. The Duke had hit her, and she wasn’t going to hide it. Let his servants see. Let anyone see. She wouldn’t hide his crime.

Now she was walking along the abandoned third floor, save for the odd servant going about their business, when she paused, leaning against a window sill, and looking out at the blue sky. Her eyes travelled downwards, to a man standing before the fountain. He was back on to her, and for a second she dismissed him as just another of the Duke’s visitors.

Until her eyes fell on the hair.

That dark auburn, loose curls, almost slightly messy. As her attention focused on him, she took in everything else. His height. The slender shape of his body. The way he was standing there, all angles and tense lines of his shoulders. The way the cape fell around him.

She whispered, _“Julian?”_

No. No it _couldn’t_ be. How could Julian be _here?_ Valdeer was so far away. He would have had to have left Vesuvia before she did to get here. It must just be someone who resembled him.

The man at the fountain shifted faintly, and turned, looking slightly to the right, and her breath caught.

That profile. That long nose, and long jaw. Pale skin. Dear God he was wearing an _eyepatch._

It _was_ Julian.

How was he _here?_

Her vision swam as tears filled her eyes. He was _here._ Somehow, he was _here._

Turning back from the window, she shut her eyes, clenching her fists to smother down the urge to go tearing out and down the stairs, run outside, throw herself into his arms, and just beg him to take her home. Get her out of there, take her anywhere but here.

They’d _kill_ him.

Sabrina knew that as sure as she knew the shape of his hands. He’d try to get her out, and he’d be run through with the swords of the guards, and there was no mark from the Hanged Man now to save him.

Was he looking for her? How had he even...?

Her heart turned icy. He was in danger. He had _no idea_ how much danger he was in.

Sabrina looked around wildly. She needed something, some way to contact him without putting him in danger. 

It was at that moment one of the young boys who served as messengers ran past, heading somewhere at a swift trot.

_“Wait!”_

The boy, a youth of about 8, turned around, looking at her wide eyed. His blond hair was rumpled, and he looked like he might have been doing something he shouldn’t have. There was fear on his face, blue eyes wide, that he was in trouble.

“I need you to carry a message for me,” she said, “in secret. Can you do that?”

“I...I guess,” he said, cautiously.

Taking the boy’s hand, she pulled him over to the window, peering out. Julian still stood there, but for how long.

“You see that man down there?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“I want you to carry a verbal message to him for me. In secret. You keep my secret, and I’ll keep yours, ok?”

The young boy jumped, and looked at her guiltily, “Do you promise?”

“I promise,” she said, “and if you wait for a reply, the man will give you a coin, ok?”

The promise of money made him relax somewhat, and he smiled, revealing a missing front tooth, “Ok!”

Sabrina nodded, “Ok. Here is what I want you to tell him. _“You’re in great danger. Leave now. Meet at nine bells by the trellis by the west wall.”_ Can you remember that?”

The young boy repeated back what she told him, word for word, and she nodded, squeezing his hand, “Perfect! Now you can’t tell anyone at all. Understand? It’s like a game. It’s secret.”

“I understand!” he smiled, “If he asks, who do I say it’s from?”

Sabrina paused. She didn’t want to get the boy in trouble, or Julian. She was simply too afraid of Earlington to trust him not to hurt the boy if he ever found out. The only way she could protect him was if she kept her name out of it. If the boy was questioned, Earlington wouldn’t associate her with what was going on, and might just assume the boy had been playing a game. To help along that image, she gave what she hoped was a silly sounding name.

“The shopkeeper stuck in a barrel.”

The boy blinked at her, confused, but she just smiled, and nodded, “Ok?”

He thought about it, then nodded. Turning, he jogged back up the hallway, heading for the stairs.

Sabrina turned back, relieved to see Julian was still standing there, but from his body language, he was starting to look antsy.

Please wait a few more minutes, she mentally whispered, please.

Keeping hidden behind the curtain of the window, she only allowed herself to peek out, watching him. Sabrina practically ached watching him. She could read his body language so well. She wanted to touch him. Hear his voice. She wanted him to hold her tight and promise her everything was going to be ok.

As she watched, the boy jogged out of the shadow of the mansion, and came to stand beside Julian, a short ways away.

 

Looking back on it later, she had to admit, the boy was good. He kept his eyes on the fountain, copying Julian’s posture perfectly, looking to any casual observer like a little boy who was just looking to the fountain himself, perhaps looking for coins.

For a long moment, she thought the boy wasn’t saying anything, until she saw Julian turn and look at the youth curiously.

Still, the boy never looked at Julian.

Suddenly, Julian’s body language changed. His shoulders _tensed_ , spine going stiff like a tree. He turned more towards the boy, looking at him intently, although with his eyepatch towards her, Sabrina couldn’t make out much of an expression. She saw him speak, asking questions.

She watched as Julian turned back to the fountain, then back towards the boy again, his head turning as he looked this way and that, looking for her. For some sign of her.

The boy turned, and pointed, straight up at her window.

Gasping, Sabrina darted back behind the curtain, hiding herself completely from view. As she stood there, hiding behind the curtain, she tried not to laugh almost hysterically. Why was she _hiding?_ What a stupid thing to...

No. No, she didn’t trust herself not to break if.... and she didn’t want him to see her like this. Blackened eye, split lip...

She knew it was _utterly stupid._ She wasn’t to blame for what had happened, there was no _reason_ to feel embarrassed or ashamed....but she still didn’t want him to see. Perhaps a part of her knew how he would react if he saw she had been struck. Regardless, no matter how stupid the reason, she kept behind the curtain for a second.

Moving faintly, she managed to find a tiny gap, just large enough for her to slip an eye to and peer out. 

Julian stood there, staring up at the window with a look of desperation. Had he seen the curtain move? Did he know she was actually there, hiding? Now she felt stupid, and upset, and like crying, all at the same time, and cursed herself for being such an _idiot_.

As she watched, Julian tore his gaze from the window, and turned back to the boy. She watched as he reached inside his shirt, and rummaged for a moment, pulling out what looked like a handful of coins for the boy. Stunned, the boy held out his hands, catching the coins, looking up into Julian’s face. He nodded several times, and grinning, turned, and broke into a run back towards the mansion.

As she watched, Julian looked back up at the window. He opened his mouth, but closed it again. Dragging a gloved hand through his hair, he looked around, as if reestablishing where he was. Casting a final, desperate look up to the window, he turned, and made his way out of the garden.

Hearing running footsteps, Sabrina turned to see the boy come running up to her, a huge smile on his face. He held out a handful of coins, “Look what he gave me!”

“Sssh! Good! Remember, it’s a secret. Don’t show anyone.”

“Oh! Right!” the boy started to stuff them into his pockets.

“Did he say anything? Did he give you a message to bring back?”

The boy looked up at him, his smile fading slightly, “He did, but I don’t understand it.”

“That’s ok. What did he say?”

“He said, _“Tell her I’ll pull her out again, and she can steal my drink once more.”_ Does that make sense?”

Tears welled up in her eyes, “Yes. It does. Thank you.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting down to business

Nadia and Portia were waiting in their room. Nadia was drinking a cup of tea, the teapot still steaming on the table, when Portia finally returned. She closed the door, and moved to drop into the chair across from her lover with a thump.

“Well, that’s it, then. He’s inside. I was going to wait outside for him, back from the main gates a little, but people coming and going from the estate kept looking at me, and I was afraid I’d look suspicious, so I came straight back.”

“How did he seem?”

“Nervous.”

Nadia nodded, and took another sip of her tea.

“This place is so creepy,” Portia said, leaning back in the chair. She toyed with a braid, “I’ll be glad when we get back home. It’s like everyone here smiles, but the smile never really reaches their eyes, you know? Like they’re smiling to be polite, but they don’t really mean it.”

Nadia absently nodded, looking off into the distance.

“I guess it’s the politics. Everyone here is....it’s like everyone is constantly measuring themselves up to someone else. Who has more power over who? I know it’s like that everywhere, the courtiers in the Palace were like it, but here it’s....I dunno. Maybe it’s because I don’t really know anyone.”

Another, absent nod.

Portia frowned faintly, “Nadia, hun? Is everything ok?”

The noblewoman blinked, seeming to come out of her fog, looking directly at the smaller woman. She smiled faintly, “You’re very perceptive, my sweet. I’m....worried.”

“Yeah....me too.”

“Yes, but....we have a new worry.”

“Oh?”

“It’s Asra.”

Portia looked towards the door to their room, back where the others were joined, “Is he ok?”

“He left earlier.”

Portia sat up straighter in her chair, _“Left? When?_ To go where?”

“I have no idea. He left a note.”

Nadia did not sound particularly pleased.

Portia gaped at the other woman for a second, “Is he _crazy!?_ This place isn’t safe for him! If anyone finds out what he is, he’s in big trouble!”

Nadia tightened her fingers on her cup, her lips in a thin, angry line, “Yes, I know. I plan on having a very long talk with him when he returns.”

“What did the note say?”

Nadia waved her hand in the are as she spoke, “Oh, a breezy, _“I’ve gone out, don’t worry about me, I’ll be back shortly”_ , something like that.”

She raised a hand to her face, “I swear, running an entire city is child’s play compared to trying to keep my friends from getting themselves killed.”

Portia slid forward on her chair, and poured herself a cup of tea, “Did he take Faust?”

Nadia lowered her hand, smiling, “No, and she’s in a _state._ ”

Portia looked back at the door, “Where is she?”

“Curled up under his pillow, hissing angrilly to herself. I attempted to coax her to come out and eat, but she refused. I....must admit, I’ve never been glared at by a snake before. Faust can be very expressive when she wants to be.”

“She’s adorable.”

“And dangerous.”

“Adorably dangerous.”

The two women smiled at each other, before their smiles faded. There was no more conversation. They sat in easy, but worried silence, each glancing at the fancy clock standing in the corner as the hours passed by.

It was about two hours later when they heard footsteps clumping up the stairs. Glancing at each other, they both turned to the main door, just in time to see Julian enter, flushed and looking excited.

Portia rose, moving quickly towards him, feeling an intense sense of relief. The siblings opened their arms to each other, and hugged tightly, sharing the sense of comfort and ease now that he was back.

“I found her,” Julian spoke quickly, looking from Portia’s upturned face to Nadia’s, “She’s there, in Earlington’s.”

“You saw her!?” Portia stared wide-eyed up at her brother.

He shook his head, letting go of her, and walking past her to sink into a chair, “No, but she apparently saw _me_. She sent me a message. I’m going to meet her tonight at the wall of Earlington’s estate.” He was still flushed with excitement and was tapping a quick tempo on his lap with his fingers, “Nine bells. I’m..uh...to meet her at nine bells.”

Nadia was perched forward in her chair, “Will it be safe?”

“I have absolutely no idea but I’m going.”

“Juli-”

“I’m going. You don’t understand, I have to see her. I have to make sure -”, he fell silent for a second, looking away from the two women for a second, as if steeling himself. After a second, he crossed his arms, throwing up a facade, looking back at them. He spoke quieter, calmer, “I need to make sure she’s _alright_. Before anything else, I need to be sure she’s ok. If I think it’s safe, I’ll get her away tonight.”

Nadia and Portia exchanged glances, and Nadia spoke, “How did it go with Earlington?”

“ _Perfect_!” Julian grinned, “He doesn’t suspect a _thing_. Dr. Solomon Hartfield has been approved for sponsorship!”

Portia grinned excitedly.

He frowned, looking around, “Where’s Asra? He should be in on this, he has good ideas.”

Nadia and Portia exchanged a look.

Julian frowned, “Er....is he not feeling well?”

Portia looked towards the window, not meeting Julian’s eyes, “Actually....he left for a bit.”

Julian blinked at Portia, as if not quite sure he heard what he thought he heard, “He....I’m sorry, what?”

Nadia spoke firmly, “He has decided to go out for a walk, apparently. He left a note telling us he would return shortly, and not to worry.”

Julian stared at her for a moment, then spoke, “Why do people say that?! “Don’t worry”? Like that’s going to _stop_ you!?”

“I’m worried too,” Nadia confessed, “Although Asra isn’t a child. He’s quite capable of taking care of himself-”

“With _magic_ ,” Julian stressed, “Asra can do anything _with magic_. Take that away, and...worse, take it away and plunk him in the middle of a country that has outlawed it, and he’s helpless!”

Portia looked back, toying worriedly with a braid, “He said he knew people here, remember? He mentioned there were a few other Magicians here that he knew. Maybe he was going to meet them?”

Julian was rubbing his face, stressed and tired, “Would it have _killed_ him to talk to someone before he left?”

“He probably knew we would have fought with him about it. Even Faust is upset.”

Alarmed, Julian cast a quick look around the room, “She is? Where is she? Er....she’s not here, is she?”

“She’s sulking under his pillow,” Portia murmured.

Relaxing somewhat, no longer worried he was going to be squeezed suddenly by an angry snake, Julian sank back, “Ah. Alright.”

 

It was later in the evening that Asra finally returned. He was greeted at the door by three very worried and angry friends.

“I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing!” Asra exclaimed, “Just being here I’m a liability! But I knew I could do more than just sit like a lump.”

“You should have told us what you had planned,” Nadia chided, “We were all very worried.”

Asra made a face, “If I had told you what I was going to try and do, you wouldn’t have let me. You’d guilt me into staying put, but I knew I could get some important information.”

Portia sighed, “Well, you’re right about that. I don’t know how well Faust will accept it, though. I think she’s pretty angry you left her behind.”

Asra faintly winced.

“So what did you do?” Nadia asked.

Throwing himself into a chair, Asra lowered the hood from his brown cloak, and leaned back, rubbing the back of his neck, “I went to see if I could find some of my old friends. I had friends here that were caught when everything happened. Some I’ve lost contact with, and I...don’t know what happened to them.” Asra looked away, lost in thought for a moment, echos of grief flashing over his face. After a second, he shook his head, banishing the thoughts, and looked back to them.

“But I found a few others, and I was able to talk to them. Really find out what happened all those years ago. And maybe how to get Sabrina out of here.”

“I confess, I wasn’t sure how to do that,” Nadia murmured, folding her hands in her lap, “If we cannot cast magic without guards sensing it, how would we get Sabrina out? It’s unlikely we can just walk her out of the city. Once she goes missing, it’s very likely guards are going to be looking for her. And we can’t just make a portal and vanish from the middle of Valdeer.”

Julian and Portia shared a look. They hadn’t even thought about just how to get Sabrina out of the city. They had both just been concentrating on getting her out of the Duke’s estate first.

“So what happened?” Nadia asked, now leaning forward again, “What _really_ happened that night?”

Asra sighed, closing his eyes for a minute. Portia slid off her chair, and poured him a cup of tea. He blinked at the cup, and smiled his thanks to her, holding the warm cup in his fingers for a moment before speaking.

“No one is really sure what caused it. Puriew’s coup was violent and bloody, but he never seemed to be _hateful_ of magicians. In fact, he had several trusted magicians on his council. The people who had been ruling Valdeer before he took over was even worse, by all accounts. Everyone hated them. So when Puriew took over....a lot of people thought it was going to be for the better. His fighters drove out the previous rulers, and they were exiled. Everyone was rejoicing.

The Duke Earlington, the one who has Sabrina, he was Puriew’s closest advisor. He was the one Puriew trusted above all others. When Earlington suggested avenues to attack, or how to go about sneaking his fighters into the city, Puriew listened. He was his right hand man, as they say. His trusted the Duke _completely_. Some said like father and son. They were close.

The next thing anyone knew, one day, the guards were just .....rounding up all the magicians. It didn’t matter if you were highborn or not. If you had a natural talent for magic, you were thrown in jail. If you could do magic, but not well, as in, you didn’t have a natural affinity for it, you were allowed to stay out, but you could never do magic again. Anyone caught performing magic was arrested.”

“But _why_?” Julian asked.

Asra shrugged, and took a sip of the tea. After a moment, he spoke, “Puriew even rounded up his _own_ magician advisors, and they were arrested too. They were put in some sort of special...anti-magic cells. Then they had their collars put on them. Once that happened, they were...slaves, basically. They can be bought and sold, they have no rights. The collars are attuned to their masters, so they can allow them to cast certain spells to help them with daily chores around a house, like starting a small cooking fire, but nothing else. Try to cast any other spell, or any violent spell towards their master, and it rebounds on the magician. Try to remove it without the master’s permission, and it can...it can kill the magician.”

Julian cursed under his breath, looking away.

“What about if we get Sabrina away from Valdeer?” Nadia asked, “Can the collar be removed then?”

“I don’t know,” Asra said, “No magician has ever escaped with a collar on that anyone is aware of. We’d have to test it. Carefully.”

“Can....is she going to be _able_ to leave?” Portia asked quietly.

Everyone fell silent.

Nadia roused herself first, “One thing at a time. We get Sabrina out of the Duke’s estate. Bring her here. Then we work on getting her home.”

“We know she’s in there for sure?” Asra asked, perking up. Julian related his experience again, and Asra smiled for the first time since they arrived, “Oh thank goodness. That’s a relief.”

“We’ll get everything ready tonight, in case you find a chance to get her,” Nadia said, “It might be your best chance. I’ll have some things that can disguise her.”

“And if we can get her out of the city,” Asra said sounding more positive than before, “I know where we can go. I found where they’re hiding.”

Julian frowned, “Who?”

“The other Magicians. The ones who escaped the city. The Underground.”

Julian blinked, “You found them?”

Asra nodded, “They’re outside Valdeer. I don’t know just where yet....the location is kept secret, but I know the general direction. So once we have her, we can hide there.”

Julian smiled, relaxing more. Finally, a plan to work towards.

 

Nine bells came faster than they had thought. There had been a discussion about who should go. The problem was that if they were going to sneak Sabrina out, all hands might be needed. At the same time, four people out past dark, hanging around the west wall of a powerful man’s estate might raise suspicion. And if one of them was discovered to have a powerful magical aura...

In the end, it was back to Julian and Portia. As a “servant”, Portia had a simple excuse for being out – a last minute chore for her mistress. Julian could simply be out getting some night air.

Hidden in Portia’s clothing, was the small familiar, Faust. She had no special aura of her own, but could speak mentally with Asra. If there was trouble, Faust could let Asra, and thereby Nadia, know, and they would come running. It was the best they could all come up with.

Luck was on their side. It was a dark night, a new moon hindering any extra light. And the majority of the street lanterns cast dark shadows along the west wall of the estate. Wearing his darker blues again, Julian found he was able to keep to the shadows, and at least remain hidden unless one was close. There was that much help from Mother Nature, at least.

Along the west wall, Julian found the trellis Sabrina had mentioned. It was old, and well grown over by ivy, thick as a mat. Portia moved up the street a little, carrying a basket with a few odds and ends in it, looking as if she had just finished some late shopping. She found a dark corner of her own to hide in, where she could watch her brother, but stay out of earshot.

Julian remained where he was, in the shadows, keeping an eye out for any guards. As Nadia had suspected, it certainly seemed like once the sun went down, they changed over to patrols, similar to how they were in Vesuvia. The streets were quiet.

In the distance, the large clock struck nine, the long low peals ringing out over the city. The massive bell was old, and the notes rich and full. There was no sound as each chime rang out.

When the ninth sounded, and faded into silence, Julian approached the wall. He moved up closely to the trellis, trying to peer through, but the ivy was too thick. Not even light penetrated through.

Taking a chance, he whispered lowly, “Sabrina?”

There was a moment of silence, and he thought she wasn’t there. Maybe he was at the wrong spot, maybe she had been caught. Was she in danger? Should he move around to the other walls, and try agi-

“Julian!”

Her own whisper seemed loud in the silence, and he jumped, startled. But it was quickly replaced by relief, and raw emotion. His voice was ragged, but low, as he fought to keep it level.

“ _Oh, Sabrina_. Are you alright, darling? Are you ok?”

 

On the other side of the trellis, Sabrina stood, head down, hair falling like a curtain around her face. She had wanted him so badly, to be there. She missed his voice, his presence, and now, hearing it, it overwhelmed her. She wanted to cry, to beg him to just take her home. She heard how his own voice trembled, and knew he was feeling the same. A savage need to get her out, get her to safety.

And even though he couldn’t see her, she lowered head as if to hide her face. As if he could see the bruises there. Even though she was well aware none of it was her fault, she shouldn’t be embarrassed or ashamed, still she had an innate need to hide it. Keep it hidden.

Sabrina reached out, laying her palm flat against the cool ivy growing through the trellis, fingers curling faintly into the leaves. She trembled, and fought to keep her voice steady, and level. To sound stronger than she was. As if by sounding strong, she would be strong. For her, and him.

“I’m ok,” she half whispered, “I’m...I’m ok. How did _you_ get here? How are you _here_?”

Julian stepped forward, lowering his own head, resting his forehead against the ivy, closing his eye. Hearing her voice....it shook him. She said she was ok, but _was_ she? Trapped in the estate of some power crazy person, held against her will, could _that be called ok_? Like a mirror image of Sabrina, he raised his own hand, pressing the palm against the ivy, slightly curling long fingers into the waxy leaves, as if he could pass through the wall itself.

“A special, mutual friend brought us here. And we’re _all_ here, my love, all of us. Save for one grouchy hermit, and a dread pirate. We’re here to bring you home.”

He opened his eye, looking up at the wall. It...it wasn’t that tall. Not for him. If he backed up....if he took a running start....he might be able to climb over it, and....and at least _see_ her. Lay eyes on her. He could boost her up, and...

He took a step back, “Step back, Sabrina, I’m going to jump over. I’ll get you out.”

“ _No_!” she hissed, shaking her head although she was unseen, “You can’t.”

“I _can_ ,” he insisted, narrowing his eyes at the top of the wall, “It’s not that tall-”

“No...there are guards,” she breathed, “Julian, there are guards here, and...I can’t leave. There’s a sort of barrier spell. I can’t get over the wall, it hurts. I tried.”

“I...I can still come over. _I need to see you._ ”

“It’s too _dangerous_ , Julian. You might not be able to get back, then you’ll have to try and sneak out through the main gate. You can’t.” She shook her head. She didn’t want him to see her. He’d be too upset, and make mistakes.

He cursed in desperation, stepping back up to the wall, leaning against it, pressing his hands against it again, “Do you know how it works? Can you..er...deactivate it, or counter it somehow?”

“No. Not yet. I’ll try, though.” She fell silent, thinking about what he had said earlier. They were all there. Nadia, Asra, Portia and Julian. Everyone but Muriel and Mazelinka. Just knowing they were there, just outside the wall....it helped her. She didn’t feel so alone now. Even if she couldn’t see them or be with them. She was no longer alone in a strange city.

But her heart pounded. Asra was here? He was in danger.

“Our....special friend. Is he ok? Does he _know_ the danger of being here?”

Julian spoke gently, “He does. And still came. We’re saving you, my dear, you’re not staying here. I _promise_ you, you’re coming _home_.”

Home.

She raised her hands, pressing them to her face. Home. She wanted to go home. She wanted to sleep in her own bed, beside Julian, and wake up and have tea at her table. Emotions shook her.

“Darling? Sabrina?”

“I’m here,” her voice warbled faintly, and she cleared her throat, “Still here.”

He rested his head against the wall again, eye closed, “Do you know why he grabbed you? Why he took you?”

“He...he’s making some sort of army,” Sabrina spoke quietly, her own head resting against the wall. They were perfect copies of each other, each longing to be able to touch the other, neither able to, “An army of giant spiders. Metal spiders. I think he’s going to do something awful with them. And I have to give them magical life, so he can command them.”

Julian frowned, his brow furrowing in concern. Was that how he was going to try and take over? With an army of spiders?

“How did you get into the estate?” Sabrina asked, curling her fingers through the ivy, “When I saw you, I....I thought I was going crazy.”

“Trust me,” he said softly, “We have a plan. But you don’t know me. He if he mentions a doctor he’s sponsoring, _you don’t know me._ ”

“Alright.”

“We’re working on getting you out,” he said again, trying to emphasize it to her, “Give us a little time. Now that we know where you are....”

“I’ll talk to the other magicians here,” Sabrina said, “See if I can figure out how to get past the wall. Can you meet me here again tomorrow night, same time? We can...can compare notes, work out a plan.”

“I’ll be anywhere you need, my love,” he said strongly, “No one could keep me away.”

She gave a watery laugh. He sounded so sure of himself. She missed him desperately.

Sabrina burrowed her fingers through the ivy, her smaller hand working its way through the trellis. Her fingers passed the outside wall, and encountered cool air for a second, before they were entwined into long, slender fingers, cooler than hers, but warming swiftly. His fingers tightened on hers, trapping them in warmth.

She laughed again, trying not to cry. Sabrina had never felt so helpless. She had always had her magic with her, to use as she needed. Any time she felt scared, she could call on it, for shields, for weapons. It had always been a part of her. Now she had nothing, and was helpless. And she hated feeling that way, weak and frightened, but she had no choice. All her weapons had been stripped from her.

She suddenly felt soft lips on her fingertips. She gave a laugh that turned into a sob, and she bit her lip.

_“Please don’t cry,”_ he said, half whispering, his voice hurting, _“I’ll get you out, I swear on my life. I’ll save you from this. Please.”_

“I’m ok,” she lied, making herself laugh, “I just...I miss you, is all. I really miss you a lot.”

He squeezed her fingers in his, “As I miss you. But we’ll be together again soon, I promise. You know what I’m like, a dog with a bone. You’ll be out before you know it!” He was desperately trying to make her feel better, reassure her, but his own voice was ragged.

“I know,” she said, squeezing back, “I know. I believe you. I trust you.”

They fell silent again for a moment. In the distance, Sabrina heard marching footsteps.

She started to pull her hand back, “The guards, Julian. They’re making their rounds, you have to go.”

He tightened his fingers around hers for a moment, not wanting to let go, but cursed raggedly, and released her.

“Tomorrow night, same time. I’ll be here. You find out how to get around the spell. You’re brilliant, you’ll do it....and then we’ll have a working plan, and we’ll be home in no time.”

“Right!”

There was a pause, as the footsteps grew closer.

“I love you,” he said.

She smiled, giving another half laugh, half sob, “I can do you one better, Ilya. I _adore_ you.”

“Be careful,” he spoke against the wall, “Please.”

“I will. Go.”

She heard his footsteps recede, and turned, leaning back against the wall, her face in her hands.

They could do this. They were here. All her friends, and Julian. They were here.

She would be going home.

 

Julian walked back towards Portia swiftly, long legs eating up the distance between them easily. He saw her hiding in the shadows, and felt relief that she was smart enough to stay hidden. But the rest of his mind was on Sabrina.

His fingers could still feel hers, entwined with his. How they felt, the cool tips, against his lips. Her voice. She had been upset, it was so clear in her tone, how she had been trying hard not to cry, and it stabbed into his heart. He had never heard her like that before. They had only really know each other a little over a year, and while he had experienced her tears – and that was hard enough – hearing her sound that upset, that frightened and trying not to be....it physically hurt. He had wanted to just jump the wall and grab her, boost her over, grab her hand and run. Run to safety. Run home.

At least hearing her....touching her....he knew she was still alive. Even though she was upset, she was clearly able to talk, to plan. She was already working on finding a way to get out, they were working on a plan together. In separate pieces, but together.

Things were going good.

When he finally caught up to Portia, his sister stepped out of the shadows. They linked hands, and headed swiftly back towards the Inn.

 

They all gathered in the main room again, working through what Julian had told them.

“I should have expected some sort of magical barrier,” Asra said, “The Duke would clearly need some way of keeping his magicians in without some sort of...ugly eyesore that would ruin his garden.”

“Sabrina said she’ll talk to the others, see if they know any way of sneaking out. It’s possible they know of a trick or two.” Portia spoke softly.

“Perhaps,” Nadia said, “But she will have to be careful. Even if there is a trick to get out, they may not tell her. She’s new, and they might not trust her. Worse, they might let the Duke know she wants to escape.”

Julian looked distraught, “I never thought of that. Oh no...”

“Easy, Julian,” Asra said, “Sabrina’s not dumb. I’m sure by now she knows who she can talk to.”

“Yes, you...you’re probably right.”

 

The next morning, Sabrina was up early, washed and fully dressed by the time breakfast came. She asked the serving girl to let Apollo know she wanted to head down early and get started. She wasn’t sure if he’d actually show up, but he did.

During the night, she had had a dream, and it gave her an idea. An even better idea of how to go about stopping the Duke from using the spiders for whatever purpose he was going to use them for. A way she could control them, and not him. And she was 99 percent sure he’d never know.

She could use his blood to allow the spiders to hear him silently, and listen to his orders. In that manner....she could use her own as well, to block him when the time comes. Sabrina wasn’t sure if that would allow her to actually use the spiders, but she didn’t think she would be able to. It would just be used to block Earlington. And that was enough.

The problem, of course, was that she couldn’t just walk down there with a bowl of her own blood, the way Earlington would. And she didn’t have a knife on her. So she’d have to find a way to cut herself while down there, just small enough to use a tiny smear on each spider.

Easy.

When Apollo came to her door, he was clearly not impressed at having been summoned. Sabrina hoped he hadn’t been ready, had, in fact, had to rush to show up. It was a small, almost petty thing, but that was all she had at the moment. She would savour that.

Down in the underground room, she found a small bowl with a small amount of blood in it. It was fresh, hadn’t started clotting yet, so Earlington must have just arrived with it.

Taking the bowl, she walked past Apollo, who took up his station by the door, and headed down to where the spiders were.

She laid the bowl on the floor as she looked the first spider over. The only sharp thing she could see on it was the bladed mandible.

Steeling herself, she reached out with her hand toward the mandible. A faint shudder went through her. She didn’t want to put her hand anywhere near that mouth – even though the spider was inert it still looked dangerous, and her mind could easily see it suddenly springing to life and taking her hand clean off.

Locating the very tip of the bladed mandible, she pressed her pinky finger against it, and was rewarded with a sharp prick of pain. Biting her lower lip, she withdrew her hand quickly, looking at her finger. A large red drop of blood welled up, already starting to run along her finger. Perfect.

Sabrina cast a look over her shoulder, making sure Apollo couldn’t see her, and she knelt. Squeezing her finger, she milked out as much blood as she could from her pinky, letting it drip into the same bowl as Earlington’s blood. It blended in perfectly, just one drop of crimson blood amid the rest in the bowl. Once the bleeding slowed, she stood up, swirling the contents as gently as possible, and started.  
It was here that Sabrina followed through on her new magic.

No longer following what she had been taught by Asra, Sabrina turned to the way her new magic was turning. Runes had come to her in her sleep, new and different. The shapes and patterns completely new to her, and yet they made sense to her. As each rune came to life in her sleep, her mind followed the patterns, a deep understanding forming. Each curve, each straight line, each dot or swirl, they all seemed to make sense to her now. No longer worried about hurting Julian or setting her house on fire, she allowed the flow of this new magic enter her.

She would have been hard pressed to explain it to anyone, even someone who knew magic as well as Asra. She couldn’t explain why that particular curve in the rune made sense to her, why it needed to be there, why the flow of it would help the magic flow...she just knew it did make _sense_ , it _did_ need to be there, the magic _would_ flow. Like an artist who drew a flower, each part just seemed to make sense to her, but she would never be able to explain it.

If this new magic was coming to her, then by God she would _grasp_ it this time, and _use_ it.

The same rune was drawn on each spider, under it’s body where it would be protected from rain, and hidden from sight. She could feel the magic sinking into the spider much easier now, no longer having to force it in. It was her own blood, and it responded as she wanted.

Sabrina was a little dismayed to discover she _liked_ writing the runes. Using her own blood only heightened the sensation. All this time she had been pushing it back, forcing it away, and now that she was allowing it to flow through her, this strange new magic, it felt shockingly _delicious_.

Focus.

She moved on from one spider to the next, and then the next. Once she started, once she actually allowed the magic within her freedom, it became so much easier. Dip her finger, draw the rune, whisper the magic in her head. 

_Feel this blood. You will listen to him....but you will listen **more** to me when I call. I **create** you._

Sabrina didn’t really know anything until she felt a hand grasp her shoulder.

She turned, dazed and in a dream-like trance, looking confusedly up at the one grasping her shoulder. At first the face didn’t register. It was like looking at a complete stranger. She didn’t know where she was, or what was going on.

The person looking at her was talking, but his words were just odd garbles, making no real sense to her. After a few minutes, she realized he was saying her name, and slowly she surfaced, like a swimmer breaking the surface of the water.

“-rina, can you hear me? What have you done? Can you hear me?”

Dazedly, she blinked slowly at him, “Duke Earlington?”

He narrowed his eyes slightly, dropping his hand from her shoulder, and taking a step back, “So. You’re awake...”

“Awake?”

“Are you alright? You seem confused.”

Sabrina looked down at her hands, blinking when she realized the pinky on her right hand was smeared in dried blood. Slowly, painfully slowly, it all came back to her. What she had been doing, and why.

Sabrina turned, and looked back towards where the spiders were standing. She was much farther in among the ranks of the mechanical creatures than she had expected to be. Behind her, there were a few rows of the spiders, all with that faint gleam in their gem eyes.

“You’ve been busy,” the Duke said, still watching her closely.

Sabrina raised her left hand, drawing her fingers through her hair. She felt hot and sweaty, and oddly, dreamily lethargic, almost like after an intense bout of lovemaking, when she and Julian were curled around each other, having caught their breath, and lay just listening to each other’s heart.

“I...did more than I expected,” she said quietly.

“Apparently so,” he answered, “I have counted sixteen.”

Sabrina blinked, looking at him, “I....I lost count, I guess. Sixteen.”

Earlington continued to study her face. The faint flush, the almost afterglow effect to her skin, and her dreamy mannerisms weren’t lost on him, “Apparently so. You have completed more than I was asking. I’m...impressed.”

Sabrina was looking back towards the spiders. Sixteen? Had she really done so many?

“What time is it?”

”Midday meal has ended an hour ago.”

Sabrina blinked again. Six hours. She had somehow lost six hours and created sixteen of those horrors. And she had no real memory. She could remember starting on her...fourth? Fifth? And then nothing.

“You must be hungry,” Duke Earlington spoke again, his voice softer, “Apollo says you haven’t stopped since you got down here. What do you want to eat?”

She turned and looked at him, shaking her head, “It doesn’t matter. I just need food. Any food.”

He studied her in silence for a moment, then spoke, “As you wish. Return to you room, wash, eat, rest. Tomorrow you may start later, if you wish.”

She nodded, saying nothing else. He didn’t seem too interested in actually studying the spiders, and even if he did, what would he see? Just a rune, traced out in blood.

It almost hurt her to say, but she thanked him. The Duke cast her a smile, and turned.

As he was passing Apollo, the other man spoke, “Master. A moment of your time?”

“Yes, of course.”

Sabrina remained where she was, watching them as they spoke. Their voices were low, speaking of something important. She saw how the Duke’s face changed, growing more serious. He nodded, and spoke grimly, “I thought as much. Carry on.”

Not looking back, the Duke slipped out through the door, leaving Sabrina and Apollo in the room. Apollo turned and motioned for her to follow him. Casting a look back towards her handiwork, she then turned, and followed him out of the room.

When Sabrina was let back into her room, she found Mildred there, with a hot bath drawn, and some new clothing she was hanging in her wardrobe. A tray with food and tea had been set up.

“Ah, there you are. Your bath is almost ready. Have something to eat while I finish topping up the water.”

Hungrily, Sabrina moved to the table and chairs, and sank into one, reaching for a sandwich and cup of tea, “I’m starving.”

“Rumours say you’ve been doing a lot of magic for the Duke. Powerful magic.”

“Not willingly,” she was quick to explain, “Trust me.”

Sabrina quickly ate her food, and downed the tea. Mildred was just adding some oils to the water, when she motioned for Sabrina to strip and bathe. She moved across the room to fetch some towels.

Sinking down into the hot water with a sigh, Sabrina leaned back, sinking down into the hot water until only her face was sticking out. Eyes closed, she listened to Mildred’s voice coming through the water, as she chatted about this and that. After a moment, Sabrina sat up more straight, letting the water run from her hair, the tight curls now even moreso, and spoke.

“Mildred, how many magicians live here in the Duke’s estate?”

The older woman handed Sabrina a bar of pink soap. She held it to her nose and sniffed. There was a faint flowery smell, not too overpowering.

“Altogether there are 12 of us here.”

“Do they all have their own rooms?”

“Well...no. Only the more senior of us do. The younger ones share rooms.”

Sabrina started to lather up her shoulders and neck, “What....what is like living here? I mean...are you...we...all slaves? Are we allowed to leave the Duke’s estate? Can we go walking around in the city?”

“Oh, only the most trusted can come and go as they want. The others enter the city when their work requires it.” Mildred had returned to the wardrobe, and was hanging up clothing. There were beautiful robes and tunics with flowing pants and skirts, scarves and shawls, long sleeved cardigans and bathrobes, and sleeping gowns. All manner of material and colors, though mostly in earth tones.

“But surely you must go into the city when you want. What’s to stop you from just going out for a night after your work is done?”

Mildred turned, regarding Sabrina seriously, “The walls.”

Keeping her eyes on her feet as she started soaping them up, she spoke again, trying to sound innocent, curious, “Can’t you just go over them?”

Mildred fell silent, “There are spells.”

Sabrina looked up at Mildred, smiling charmingly, “Oh come on now. You don’t expect me to believe that after all the years everyone has been here, no one’s learned how to pop over the wall to meet with friends or share a drink, then pop back before anyone notices?”

Mildred looked stricken, and she waved her hands at Sabrina in a shushing motion, whispering, “You can’t talk like that, mistress! You’ll get hurt, or worse!”

Sabrina blinked, still trying to play innocent, “What are you talking about? I’m not saying run away – the city’s too well guarded for that! I just mean sneak out to meet friends, and then back again. The Duke wouldn’t mind that very much, would he?”

“Please. You don’t understand the trouble you could get in, mistress.”

Sabrina leaned back, dropping the act. “I know there’s a way, Mildred, and I’ll find out. I am not staying here. It’s not my home.”

“Mistress -”

Sabrina looked up at the older woman, suddenly blinking, “Wait, why are you calling met _that_?”

Mildred clasped her hands together before her, as if not sure what to do with them, “The Duke has told us you are to be referred to as such among the Magicians.”

A cold feeling swept through Sabrina as Mildred’s words sunk in, “When? When did he say this?”

“This morning. He said you were helping him with something very important, and that as a result all the magicians were to treat you as the highest ranking among us.”

Sabrina stared at Mildred, wide-eyed. She opened her mouth, closed it again, then spoke, “No. No, I don’t want that. You call me Sabrina. That’s my name, I....I’m not your...you’re not my servant.”

“The Duke has ordered it, Mistress, we can’t go against it.”

“ _God Damn the Duke_!” Sabrina suddenly yelled, “He can’t own you! You’re a person! This is...this is wrong! I hope he chokes on a fishbone!”

“Mistress!”

“You call me that one more time and I’ll turn you into a frog!” Sabrina yelled.

There was a sudden silence. Mildred and Sabrina gawked at each other for a minute, and then both burst into laughter.

“A frog, will you?” Mildred laughed, her eyes twinkling.

“I’m sorry,” Sabrina laughed, “It’s an old joke between me and Ju...me and my lover. He teases me until I threaten to turn him into a frog.”

Mildred’s face changed, her smile fading faintly, “You have a lover?”

Sabrina leaned back in the hot bath, looking away, her own smile fading, “I do.”

“I...I’m sorry.”

There was silence. Sabrina returned to soaping herself up, “I miss him, so much.”

Mildred said nothing. There really wasn’t anything to say.

Sabrina said nothing for a moment. After a second of silence, she reached for her towel, and stood, wrapping it around herself, “Be sorry for Earlington if I ever get this collar off.”

“Mist-”

“I know, I know.”

 

After she had dried off, she changed into new clothing. Putting aside the more fancy gowns – she was still a slave, despite how pretty Earlington wanted to make it – and she wouldn’t dress like a high ranking Lady. She chose simple black pants and a light green sleeveless blouse, with a darker green open sweater for warmth. The sleeves were a tiny bit too long for her – something she was sadly used to, and so she just rolled them up out of the way.

She lay back on her bed, closing her eyes, thinking about the runes she had drawn. Concentrating on them, she raised a hand and lightly traced them out in the air. Being this concentrated on them, she wasn’t worried about anything going out of control – it seemed to happen when she was distracted by something else.

Sabrina frowned faintly. She suddenly realized she could sense the spiders. They sat there, down in the room below, like great black metallic stones, only stones that could suddenly spring to life. Was it the fact she had used her own blood to animate the inanimate? They weren’t moving around, but she could feel them down there. Sitting. Silent. Waiting.  
She shivered.

 

As he entered through the main gate, Julian’s eye continued to roam around. He was still hoping to catch sight of her, even though he knew she’d make certain she was nowhere to be seen today. Not until tonight. It would be too risky. All the same, he searched.

Again, he was left standing in the foyer while the manservant went to get the Duke. As he walked away, Julian couldn’t help but wonder about the main. Steel grey hair, but taller than he was, and the man was by no means thin or frail. Just how old was he? And why on earth was such a brute taking on the role of manservant? He seemed more destined for a career in the military.

“Ah, Solomon!”

Julian looked up to see the Duke walking towards him, smiling, “Right on time. A good trait in a doctor, yes?”

Julian smiled back, “Well, fashionably late doesn’t work well in surgery, I’m afraid.”

Earlington laughed, and motioned for Julian to follow him, “I have all the papers we’ll need made up. As I said, a few questions from the Guild, a few signatures, and it will all be official.”

“Wonderful.”

The Duke led him away from the open area they had sat before, and along a hallway with thick luxurious carpets and paintings on the wall. Down one hallway, a turn, and down another. A flight of stairs, the handrails either pure gold or gold plated. It was as if the Duke was trying to be royalty as much as possible, but in some places, it surpassed taste and seemed to dip slightly into tacky.

They spoke about the weather as they walked, and if Solomon’s business partner would be trying to bring new fashions into Valdeer.

“I warn you,” Earlington said, smiling, “Fashion moves slowly in Valdeer. I hope your partner doesn’t try to rush things.”

“Oh I’m sure she’ll be fine. She always knows what she’s doing.”

“Things are different in Valdeer. The nobility rule everything, you understand. Nothing new comes into Valdeer without their say-so, even the latest fashion. No one wants some horrible tacky shirt or robe becoming popular.”

Julian said nothing.

The Duke continued as they walked, “You’ll understand once you’ve been here a while. We have a duty to the lower classes, to make sure their lives are as pleasant as possible. They need us to look after them.”

They came to a door, and the Duke opened it, stepping inside and holding it for Julian. Stepping through the archway, Julian saw four other men in the room, along with the Duke’s personal manservant. Two of the other four were seated, holding goblets of brandy in their hands. The other two were just standing, leaning against the furniture, talking. When the Duke and Julian entered, all conversation ceased, and they turned to regard the newcomer. The Guilds, Julian assumed, here to test him. He noticed all the men were well muscled, their finely made suits having a hard time concealing their solid forms. Maybe that was a fashion in and of itself in Valdeer?

There was a desk in the room, with a small pile of papers on it, and an inkwell next to it, a fine quill resting beside it. Two tables sat on either side of the desk, a large grand one behind the desk, and a smaller but still comfortable looking one before it.

As the Duke entered the room, he nodded pleasantly to the others.

The Duke motioned for Julian to seat himself before the desk, and he did so, stretching his long legs out before him, folding his gloved hands on his lap. The others in the room regarded him curiously, and he returned their curious looks with a rakish smile. Might as well start turning on the charm.

Duke Earlington moved to sit behind the desk, pulling his chair up closer so he could rest his arms upon the desk.

Everyone in the room turned their attention entirely upon Julian now. The ones that had been drinking laid their glasses on tables, leaning forward slightly. One of the larger ones stepped around the table, coming to stand behind Julian where he sat at the desk. Assuming he was a possible body guard for the Guild members, Julian cast him a smile as well.

When the Duke spoke, Julian turned his attention back to him, leaning back in his chair and crossing his legs.

The Duke folded his hands together on the desktop.

“If we’re all gathered, we can get started. However, before we really begin, may I ask you a question?”

Julian looked back to the Duke, offering him an easy smile, and a lopsided shrug to go with it, “Of course, Duke, by all means.”

“Excellent!”

Duke Earlington’s smile turned predatory, and he leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming.

“Just how much of a fool do you think I am, Doctor Devorak?”


	8. Chapter 8

Sabrina had been floating in a half sleep, half awake world, where she was dreaming about Vesuvia. A volcano had suddenly erupted right in the middle of the city, and Nadia was trying to decide if she wanted to leave it there for aesthetic purposes, or get rid of it. Half the city wanted it, half the city didn’t. Sabrina was trying to explain to people that having a volcano in the middle of the city was not good for business.

Her bedroom door opened with a bang, and she was jolted from her sleep violently. Sitting up in bed, she blinked owlishly at Apollo as he walked towards her.

“The Master wishes to see you. Now.”

He reached out, and latched onto her wrist, pulling her hard from the bed. Yanking her roughly, she half stumbled along in Apollo’s wake, trying to keep with his longer strides, demanding to know what was going on. Her heart was up in her throat. Had the Duke discovered what she had done? He didn’t seem to know magic enough to have figured it out – had one of the other magicians told him? Had Mildred told him she was talking about trying to get over the estate wall?

She was dragged to a door, and it was flung open. Dragged inside, Sabrina was manhandled to a stop. Her eyes darted around the room.

The Duke stood with his back to her, talking to some men. They all were heavyset and wore fine clothing, though most of them looked rumpled and dishevelled. One was holding a hand to his face.

The room she was in was large and well decorated. Fine carpet on the floor, and paintings lined the walls. However, the furniture was in disarray, some chairs toppled over, others pushed back against a wall. There was a large desk pushed off to the side, out of order with the rest of the room, a thick rug all bunched up around it. It had clearly been pushed out of place.

“Master, she is here.”

Sabrina continued to struggled with Apollo’s tight grip on her wrist, but her eyes were on the Duke. He turned, looking at her, and she was startled to see his own clothing was askew and out of place. His normally neat hair was out of place as well. He looked...rumpled.

He cast her a bright smile, “Ah yes, there she is, our little magician. Busy little thing. Forgive me for looking so....common...but I fear we’ve just had a bit of a _fuss_ on our hands.”

Attempting to straighten his clothing, he took a step back.

Kneeling on the floor between the Duke and the other men, was Julian. Head lowered, hair hanging around his face, the clothing he was wearing was torn at the seams and ripped in a few places, the collar torn so badly on the left side it gaped. His arms appeared to be bound behind him. There were various blood splotches on the upper part of his shirt, near the collar and shoulders. As she watched, stunned into silence, she saw his shoulders rise and fall as he breathed with exertion.

She said nothing, just stared in horror. Her mind babbled at her, trying to give her orders. _Don’t say anything. You don’t know him, remember? If the Duke knows he’s with you he might kill him. He’s a stranger. Just a stranger. You don’t know him._

Sabrina opened her mouth, but the Duke spoke first, “Now then, Julian, here she is. Cat got your tongue?”

She heard Julian curse lowly under his breath, but he took a deep breath, and lifted his face, peering at her through his hair, no longer wearing his eye patch. He offered a weak smile.

“Hello, love.”

Blood was dried on his temple, near his right ear, and at the corner of his mouth. A heavy bruise was forming around his right eye and cheekbone. Some sort of scrape or burn lined his jaw on the same side. It was quite clear from his state of clothing and face he had been in quite a fight – and from the looks of the room and the other men there, had managed to give a damn good account of himself before he had been overwhelmed.

As he looked at her, Julian’s weak smile faltered as he saw her for the first time, his eyes widening. Although her eye was no longer swollen, the green and purple bruise there made it clear she had had a black eye. Her lower lip was still slightly swollen, the split still healing.

He turned towards the Duke, anger reddening his face, _“Who hit her?_ Was it you?”

Making a face, the Duke stepped forward, and reaching out, grabbed Julian by the hair violently, yanking, snarling, “I don’t think you realize the situation here.”

Julian grimaced, “Not so _rough_! -” The grimace was quickly replaced by a toothy grin, a coy arching of his brows, “-I hardly know you.”

The Duke’s face darkened in fury, and he lashed out, backhanding Julian across the face. Julian took the blow, grunting, but said nothing, letting his head fall again for a minute as he fought to get his breath back under control, fought back the pain.

“ _Don’t you touch him!_ ”

Sabrina lunged forward, twisting her wrist from Apollo’s grasp. His hand clamped down on the back of her sweater, fingers tightening like a vise. Cursing, Sabrina twisted, shrugging out of her sweater entirely, and shot forward, leaving Apollo holding the piece of clothing.

Duke Earlington stepped back, shaking his fist, shaking out the pain, as Sabrina ran to Julian, throwing herself down on her knees before him, and wrapping her arms around him. Bound and unable to hold her back, Julian leaned into her embrace, his height making him curl down about her as much as he could. They spoke quickly to each other, talking over each other.

“Oh my God Julian, are you ok, are-”

“-bastard! He hit you, didn’t he?! He hit you!”

“Oh your face, your poor sweet face-”

“-ok, I’m ok darling, really, I can take more than this. You know I-”

Rolling his eyes, the Duke stepped forward, and grasping Sabrina’s arm, he yanked her up off her feet, shoving her back towards Apollo. The other man latched onto both wrists in a vice grip, glaring daggers at her. She shrieked in fury, struggling violently, arching her back and trying to kick back at him.

“Get your hands off her!”

“ _ENOUGH_!”

The Duke stepped forward, still massaging his hand where he struck Julian. His eyes were cold as he looked from Julian to Sabrina and back. Motioning curtly to the other men, they turned, and walked from the room, the one holding his face giving Julian a death glare as he passed him. Remaining in the room were the Duke, Apollo, Julian, Sabrina, and one other man. He stood behind Julian, arms crossed. It was clear he was ready to take the lanky doctor down if he attempted anything.

The Duke turned, walking towards Sabrina. He stood before her, looking down at her. His face was pale with anger and exertion.

“Planning on escaping, were you, my dear?”

Sabrina opened her mouth, but it was Julian who spoke first, “She had no idea I was here.”

Earlington turned, looking back at Julian, “And you came all this way to save her? How romantic. And futile.”

“What’s the big deal anyway?” Julian asked, “You have enough magicians under your thumb here to do whatever is it you want. Why come all the way to Vesuvia? Why Sabrina?”

She watched Julian’s face as he searched for answers. He was pointedly ignoring her, and she knew why. He was trying to keep the Duke’s attention on him, not her.

“And how did you even know who I was?” he finished, “I doubt my “adventuring ways” have made it as stories this far.”

Earlington, turned, walking back towards Julian. He no longer seemed angry, more amused than anything. Sabrina looked at how dishevelled Earlington looked, how untidy, and felt a foolish burst of pride for Julian.

 _He didn’t go down easy, did he?_ , she thought.

Earlington looked from Julian to Sabrina, and back. He grinned.

“Do you really _think_ , Doctor Devorak, that an entire city full of magicians wouldn’t know the names of the ones who bound The Devil?”

There was silence.

Earlington laughed, “The Arcana are terrible gossips! One of their own was bound, by someone _outside_ the magical realms! “ He turned to Sabrina, smiling almost indulgently at her, “My dear Sabrina, the names of the one who bound an Arcana as strong as The Devil, and her doctor lover, are on the lips of many an Arcana. Half of them are in awe of what you did, the other half terrified.  
Magicians noticed The Devil was missing, and the Arcana, both major and Minor, talked.

And magicians _listen_. They overhear that chatter. And, well....someone with a sense of the power that could be harnessed, that has access to many magicians....they would be a fool not to take advantage of it.”

Julian’s gaze met Sabrina’s, and she mentally cursed. The Arcana _gossiped_!? _That_ was how Earlington found out about her? The fact the Arcana were....gossiping like courtiers irritated her to no end. It had never come to her to ask them not to mention her name. To keep it secret. Because why wouldn’t it upset them? If she could bind one of them...couldn’t she possibly bind the others?

Magicians were like any other people. Some were good, some were terrible. And if some of them knew she had been able, with the help of her friends, to bind the Devil....

And if they spoke of her, and Julian...what about the others? Did he also know about Asra? Portia, Nadia?

How much information had the Duke gotten from Julian already? Did he know about Asra being there? Sabrina knew Julian would never endanger Asra’s life, but everyone, no matter how strong, had a breaking point. Although Julian didn’t look like he had been actually tortured, more of a brawl. His poor face, though....

“So you went all the way to Vesuvia to grab Sabrina and bring her here.”

Earlington nodded, then narrowed his eyes at Julian.

“Now, the question is what am I going to do with you, Devorak.”

“Nothing,” Sabrina said, quickly, her voice hard, “If you want my cooperation, you won’t touch him.”

Duke Earlington looked at her, bemused, “ _Are you giving me an order?_ ”

Unable to move properly, due to Apollo holding her tightly by the wrists, Sabrina drew herself up as best she was able, and lifted her chin, meeting his eyes.

“If you want my cooperation, you’ll leave him alone.”

Julian spoke quietly, “Sabrina-”

The Duke burst out laughing, “My dear Sabrina. I already _have_ your cooperation. _Both_ of your cooperation. Don’t you see?”

He turned, regarding Julian. Stepping forward, he came to a few steps before Julian, looking down at him. He leaned over slightly, bringing his face closer to the doctor’s.

“You’re going to be my guest, Devorak. A very _special_ guest. And you’re going to _cooperate_ , aren’t you? You’re not going to harass my servants, or hurt any of my people. You’re not going to try to escape. You’re going to be a good little boy. Because if you don’t, things will go very hard for you. _I will punish you_. Do you understand?”

Julian was silent, glaring up at the Duke. Sabrina had never seen such anger or hatred on Julian’s face. His normally warm grey eyes were the color of stormy seas, lips twisted into hate. His entire body was tense, furious, and helpless.

“Well?” Earlington asked.

“Yes,” Julian answered, his voice low and rough. It was burning him to be utterly helpless, unable to do anything for himself or Sabrina.

The Duke remained looking at Julian for a moment, savouring the hate he saw there, before he turned, walking back to where Sabrina was still held by Apollo. He stood before her, looking into her eyes.

“As for _you_ , my dear. You’re going to keep doing the job I have given you. You’re going to do it to the utmost of your ability, and as quickly as possible. Because if you don’t...if you try to trick me, or sabotage my army, or do anything to set me back in any manner...”

Sabrina heard a grunt, and when Earlington stepped away again, the man that had been standing behind Julian now had a fistful of his auburn hair in his grip. Julian’s head was yanked back so that his face was tilted up, pointing at the ceiling.

There was a long, jagged dagger held to his throat.

Sabrina stilled, not able to breathe.

Julian’s eyes were closed, unable to look her in the eye, furious and humiliated that he was being used to keep her in line. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed down his anger. As Sabrina watched, a very faint trickle of blood appeared from the edge, winding it’s way down his pale skin to vanish into the torn collar of his shirt. His pale face was still flushed with anger.

 _“Do you understand?”_ Earlington asked.

 _“Yes,_ ” she said instantly, fury and hate in her voice, but she spoke quickly, “Yes, I understand.”

Earlington studied her face in silence for a moment, then he leaned back, beaming, _“Good, good!_ ”

The man behind Julian removed the blade, revealing a small nick in the skin of Julian’s throat. Unable to do anything helpful, Julian lowered his head, dark curls hiding his face.

“What will you do with him?” she asked, her eyes still on Julian.

Earlington studied Julian, then Sabrina for a moment, then shrugged, “That’s entirely up to the two of you. Cooperate, behave, and he’ll be treated well. Fine food, fine clothing, if he’s hurt he’ll be healed. He will be given a luxurious room to stay in – think of it as a vacation.”

Julian’s head snapped up, astonishment on his face, “ _A Vacation!?_ Have you _taken_ a vacation lately!? You think this is _relaxing_!?”

“Julian!” Sabrina cried, warning him.

But the Duke just laughed, shaking his head. He motioned to the man behind Julian, “Take him to a Guild Member’s room....the one just outside here should do. Make sure has anything he wants, food, drink, clothing. Send Matilda to him for healing, but he remains bound. Magically will do. We don’t want him refusing our hospitality, do we?”

Julian sneered, but said nothing, casting his eyes to the floor.

“Apollo, take Sabrina back to her room.”

“Wait!” She looked at Julian for a minute, then Earlington.

“Can I....can I have...a few minutes with him?”

Earlington said nothing, wary. Sabrina swallowed her bitter anger, and spoke again, her voice sickly with disgust.

“ _Please, Master?_ ”

Julian’s head shot up, his eyes wide in shock. Apollo and the other man said nothing, but Earlington’s face lit up in a bright smile.

“You see? Isn’t this _nicer_? Just ask, and I’ll do what I can. Of course you can have a few minutes with your lover. Apollo, Sosat, come over here by the door with me, let’s give them some privacy, hmm?”

Apollo let Sabrina’s wrists go, and he grunted at her, as if in warning, before turning and joining the Duke and the other man, Sosat, over by the door.

Sabrina ran to kneel before Julian and grabbed him, hugging him tight again.

Julian curled down around her as best as possible again, pressing his face to the curl of her throat. When he spoke, his whisper was broken.

_“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I’ve put you in worse danger now. I never meant to, I swear. I just wanted to get you out. I’ve ruined everything-”_

“Sssshh. You haven’t ruined anything. It’s ok, Ilya, we’ll get out of here. Look at me.”

Dejectedly, he raised his head, turning his face towards her, but keeping his eyes to the floor, “I thought I was pulling one over on him. I’m such a _fool-_ ”

“Stop,” she hissed, “You stop that right now. Look at me.”

For a moment, she didn’t think he was going to, but he dragged his gaze away from the floor, finally meeting her gaze. Sabrina slid her hands from his back, and cupped his face, “Are you alright? Your poor face. Are you in pain?”

“It’s nothing.” He was silent for a moment, then his own face darkened slightly, “The Duke’s the one who hit you, isn’t he?”

She paused, then nodded, gently stroking his cheeks with her thumbs, “Yes, but I’m ok.”

He watched her, eyes wandering over her face, before meeting her gaze again, “I love you.”

“Sssh. I love you too.” Sabrina leaned in, gently kissing him, aware of her split lip and his own. He leaned in to the kiss, desperate. He was too upset to respond in any manner, he just needed her touch. After a moment, she leaned back, meeting his gaze again, whispering almost silently.

“We’ll get out of here. We just need the right time.”

“That’s enough,” the Duke said, walking over towards them, “We should really get the good doctor set up in his own room now.”

Sabrina looked at Julian silently for a moment, her thumbs still gently stroking his cheeks, before she nodded to the Duke. She leaned in, giving him another kiss, before breaking off and standing. Julian leaned forward as she leaned back, trying to keep in contact with her, but she pulled away, and he remained there, kneeling on the floor, staring at her miserably as she was escorted out by Apollo. The Duke stood there, watching her go.

When the door closed, he turned to regard Julian again.

Julian tore his gaze away from the door Sabrina had exited through, meeting the Duke’s eyes again. Anger replaced the lost feeling he had had with Sabrina, and his eyes hardened.

“You came a long way, Devorak. I’m impressed.”

Julian grunted, “It cost a pretty penny.”

“That’s what you get for paying a magician to bring you all the way here. I’m not surprised you were dropped off a day’s walk away.”

Julian grunted, “You think any magician was going to be willing come here? After what’s going on in Valdeer? The one magician I found willing to bring me anywhere near charged an arm and a leg!”

Earlington shrugged, “I don’t really care. They can stay out of Valdeer, as far as I’m concerned. Beasts, all of them. Unnatural and corrupt.”

Julian looked away, angry, his face aching. Earlington studied him for a minute, then walked over. He grasped Julian under his arm, and hoisted him upwards, pulling him to his feet. The other two men walked over, not interfering with the Duke, but obviously there to make sure the lanky doctor didn’t try anything stupid.

“Now, let’s see you to your room, shall we?”

Julian was led out of the room, the Duke walking in front of the others. One of the larger men had a tight grip on Julian’s upper arm, and he knew better than to try anything. He’d never outrun them here in the mansion, and couldn’t possibly fight them with his hands tied behind his back.

His mind kept going over Sabrina, her face, how she looked when she saw him, the utter fear and horror there. He knew he was going to have to get her out of there. Despite her assertions that she was fine, the fading black eye and split lip did not agree.

As he was led along the hall, they stopped before a large white door with silver inlay. The one called Apollo pulled a key from his pocket, and opened it, letting them all inside.

Julian blinked. He had to admit, he’d never been imprisoned in such _luxurious_ captivity before.

The room was large. There was a very large king size bed, a table with several chairs, and a large wardrobe. There were several plush armchairs gathered around a small coffee table, a full length mirror, and a writing desk with inkwell and quill. The rugs underfoot were thick, and there were two large windows with thick curtains. It was clearly a room for visiting guests of means, or as Earlington himself said, for visiting Guild members. Made for entertaining people, having meetings and discussions, as well as living.

“Seeing as you’ll be staying here as our guests, I’ll see about getting you some clothing, seeing yours has been....destroyed.”

Julian said nothing, only cast a smirk towards the Duke. He had landed a few good blows against him before he had gone down under the other men, overwhelmed by brute force.

Earlington ignored the look, just kept talking, “That won’t be easy, of course, due to your...height. But I won’t leave you half naked, even if you don’t get to leave this room.”

He turned, and eyed Julian up and down for a moment, “Which is up to you, of course, Doctor Devorak. If you cooperate and behave, you’ll have freedom to move around in the mansion, maybe even the grounds. The sooner you realize you can’t escape, the better and faster you’ll settle in.”

“Is that why you hit her?” Julian spoke, his voice low and angry. It was very unlike his usual tone, “Wasn’t she _settling in_ fast enough?”

The Duke gave a deep sigh, as if so very tired of such nonsense, and kept talking, completely ignoring Julian’s words, “If you like to read, we have books on many subjects here you can borrow. Anything you want to eat will be brought for you, within reason, of course. The same with drink. I have a fine collection of cylinders for music boxes.”

He turned, and motioned to Apollo, “His hands, please.”

Apollo moved to stand behind Julian, who craned his neck and watched him closely, not trusting him. He only flicked his eyes in the Duke’s direction when he spoke, “Don’t do anything foolish, Devorak. You’ll be beaten down again.”

Julian muffled back a groan as pins and needles flooded into his arms as his hands were untied, and he brought his arms around, massaging long fingers into the muscles. “I still don’t understand why you had to go and get Sabrina and bring her here when you have so many magicians at your disposal.”

The Duke smirked at him, “I’m sure you understand perfectly well. She’s powerful. More powerful than a majority of magicians her age.”

Julian looked at him, confused, “No, I don’t ‘understand perfectly well’. You have older magicians here. They must be more powerful than she is. She hasn’t had the time to practice like they have.”

Apollo stepped forward, and grabbed Julian’s arm. Before he could say anything, the other man slapped what looked like a silver bracelet tightly around his wrist. Blinking, Julian tried to yank his arm away, but Apollo’s grip was tight. Instinctively trying to struggle, there was a sudden flash of cold, and suddenly, Julian’s hand went completely numb, his hand literally freezing solid. He gasped.

“Don’t struggle, Devorak, it’s pointless. This is just a precautionary measure to make sure you don’t try anything stupid.”

His hand starting to ache painfully, Julian ground his teeth as Apollo slapped the other bracelet on his other wrist. After a second, his right hand unfroze, and he took it in his left, massaging his fingers and palm, trying to ignore the dull ache.

The Duke spoke again, “If you don’t cause trouble, you won’t know they’re there, I promise you. Cause mischief, however....and your hands will feel like they’re frozen solid, and won’t move again.

As for Sabrina, well......you may be her lover, but it’s apparent you don’t know much about her magic. She has a great deal of power....she just doesn’t really know how to _use_ it yet. She’s like a child capable of picking up a sword and using it. She has the power, but not the training. It’s apparent she had someone teaching her, but either they weren’t aware of it themselves, or they purposefully avoided trying to unleash her full potential. A pity.

I plan on avoiding that mistake.”

Julian was silent, watching Earlington. He didn’t like the way he said that....”I plan”. It was becoming apparent that the Duke had no intention of releasing her when she was done making his spider army. That made it even more imperative that they get her out as soon as possible.

“Now,”, the Duke said, as Apollo stepped back, “You have the full use of this room. There is a bell cord there against the wall – pull it and one of my servants will see to your needs. Again, I have books, cylinders for music boxes....there is parchment and ink if you like to write poetry or prose. If you enjoy games one of my servants is excellent in chess and can play you. Food and drink are at your disposal.

That said....do not attempt to leave this room unless you are accompanied by myself, Apollo, or one of my servants. There are precautions in place to ensure you stay where you are put, and you will not like the results.

Allow me to trust you, Devorak, and you will have freedom.”

He turned, and made his way towards the door, Apollo behind him. Julian said nothing, did not move, merely glared daggers into his back.

Apollo opened the door, and as Earlington moved through, he spoke.

“I will have my healer attend to you in a moment.”

The door closed.

Furious, Julian started to pace the room, long strides eating up the floor. Despite what Earlington said, there had to be a way out. A hole, a crack, something, _anything_ , that would allow him escape. He refused to believe there was a fully escape-proof room – God knows he had been in enough so called before, and had always managed to find a way out.

But the room he was in was no cell, no dungeon, poorly made with cracks and holes made from crumbling mortar or water seepage. The room was lush and kept in perfect form. It was a luxurious, high class room.  
Grunting, he moved to stand before the full length mirror, looking at himself. He certainly looked the fright: hair wild and messed, face battered and bloody, that damned crimson eye peering out through his bangs. His clothing was ripped and torn.

He sighed, shoulders drooping. This was a right _mess_.

Now what would happen when he didn’t return? Surely Pasha wouldn’t come looking for him, would she? They had demanded to know how he had gotten there, who was with him, and while they hadn’t exactly tortured him, they hadn’t gone easy. The knowledge that they would hunt Asra down and kill him or enslave him kept him sticking to the story he had made up in his head; that he had paid a magician to send him several days walk from Valdeer and he had hiked the rest of the way. 

However, he worried about his friends. The Duke knew he was in the city accompanied by his “business partner”. If they sought out Nadia, and by association, the others....

He raised his hands, rubbing at his face.

Lowering them, he looked at the bracelets he was now wearing.

They were thick, and made of a heavy silver. No adornment decorated them; they were almost ugly in their plain appearance. They were tight to his wrists. There was a small amount of space between them and his skin, but they couldn’t pass down over his hand nor rise up past the bone in his wrist. He could see no way of taking them off short of cutting off his hands or cutting off the bracelets.

 

He had been utterly shocked when Earlington had used his real name. And he knew it had shown on his face. Draining of color, he had been stunned. So convinced that he had the Duke fooled, he hadn’t even considered the possibility Earlington had known more.

 _“What is this?”_ Julian had asked, attempting to sound offended. Often, the best defence was a good offence. He had put his hands on the arms of his chair, and started to push himself upright, when the man standing behind him clamped two large meaty fists down onto his shoulder, pushing him back down, hard.

That was when Julian knew the gig was up. No sense in pretending, no sense in anything, other than get away, find Sabrina, and run.

Julian’s manners were always fine and gentlemanly. As a learned man he could rub elbows with the best of them, charm the low born and the high class alike. Just observing him in an upper class environment, one would assume he was born into wealth and prestige.

However, his years roaming the world as a pirate, and on his own, had taught him a great deal of survival. And one of those lessons, was how to fight. Fast, and hard, and if need be, _dirty_.

Julian leaned back in his chair, and raising both long legs, he drove his feet hard into the desk. The desk shot forward, slamming brutally into the Duke’s stomach, driving his chair backwards, and tipping, sending Earlington to the floor, hard. As he drove the desk forward, he drove his chair backwards, slamming it into the gut and pelvis of the man behind him, knocking him backwards, off his feet, spilling the chair over.

Scrambling to his feet, he first tried to get to the door, get out. If he could outrun them, and maybe luck into finding Sabrina, they could try to make a break for it.

He only managed to get his long legs under him and take a few steps before he was tackled from behind by one of the Duke’s goons.

They had both gone down hard – the heavy muscled mass of the attacker almost driving all the air from Julian’s chest, his face striking the floor. Gritting his teeth – he had a long history of pushing past pain when needed, he arched up from the floor. He felt a savage glee when the back of his head smashed into the man’s face, eliciting a howl of pain. Julian heard the man’s nose break.

The attacker let go of Julian to grab his face, cursing in pain, allowing Julian to roll to his feet again. He was nearly up on his feet when a heavy fist slammed into the side of his head, knocking him to the floor. His ears ringing, he managed to dodge another blow, and gracefully rolled up onto his feet this time. Blood trickled from his temple and he flicked it away. He watched as five men, the Duke included, advanced on him. The Duke remained in the back, allowing the others to close in.

Julian turned, and lunged, hopping over one of the tables, long legs clearing the table easily, twisting as he did to land facing the men still running at him. He snagged one of the lighter chairs by it’s back.

_“Take a seat!”_

Spinning himself, he threw the chair hard at the knot of men advancing on him, and two of them went down, cursing in anger. If they were stupid enough to come at him in a group, Julian thought, they deserved a chair to the face.

He led the other three around the desk, and lurching forward, planting his palms on the top, he vaulted over the top, racing toward the door again.

One of the men seemed to rise up before him, blocking his way, fists flying. Julian arched his back, letting the fist pass through empty air before him, before he spun, a long leg sweeping out, taking his attacker’s feet out from in under him. He went down hard.

“Sorry, my dance card’s full!” he cheerfully called, as he lunged for the door.

He very nearly made it, before something snagged his ankles, and he went down, hard, seeing stars as his head struck one of the smaller tables. Attempting to get to his feet, he felt hands grabbing him, yanking him upwards.

Again, Julian planted his feet, and pulled, hearing the seams in his shirt giving way with a thick ripping sound, succeeding in pulling one of his attackers off his feet. With his shirt now much looser, he was able to move freely, and he literally twisted inside his clothing. He lashed out with his fists, catching one of the men in the face, although his hands were a doctor’s hands, and not a brawler’s. Even though he connected, he didn’t do much damage.

Pulling free one last time, he managed to actually get his hands on the door knob when something crashed into the back of his head, and he went down to his knees, dazed. Hands grabbed him, yanking him back up, onto his feet. Around him curses sounded, and a thick meaty fist landed hard in his stomach.

Julian doubled over, breath leaving him in whoosh. His legs threatened to buckle, but he was held upwards, as another fist came crashing into his face. After that things blurred for a moment, and he felt nothing else, until he finally surfaced from a dark haze, on his knees, his hands bound behind his back.

The Duke had paced back and forth, furious, but not striking Julian any more. For whatever reason, he felt the doctor had been injured enough, so he took his frustration out on the furniture. Chairs and tables were kicked over, thick curses spilling from his lips. After a moment or two, he tugged his clothing back into place, and spoke.

“I’m impressed, Devorak. I didn’t think you’d manage to find her so quickly. I had hoped this meeting wouldn’t be necessary, but apparently not. The question is, how much have you both planned already?”

Julian didn’t speak; right now he didn’t think he could form proper words. His face burned and ached savagely, his stomach felt like it was on fire, and he was panting for breath. He was furious with himself, that he had been tricked so easily, and now Sabrina would pay.

“Apollo, go fetch her,” the Duke said, and head still lowered, Julian heard the other man walk out.

 

He sighed, letting his hands drop. When he had heard the Duke speak to her, knew she was in the room, his heart fell. This wasn’t how he wanted her to see him. Captive, like her. Useless. Helpless. After promising her he would rescue her, get her free, get her home....now this.

She had embraced him, no anger in her eyes, no blame. Only fear for him, and concern.

He sighed.

Behind him, the door opened, and he turned to see an elderly woman walk in. She wore a simple blue collar around her throat, and smiled at him hesitantly. She was very short.

“You are...Julian Devorak, yes?”

He tried to offer her a friendly smile, but it failed, “Yes, that’s...er...me.”

She smiled, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

“Master has told me to come up and heal your wounds for you.”

“Oh, that....thank you, I’d...ah...appreciate that.”

He felt sort of silly....she had been ordered, after all, but she didn’t have to be friendly about it.

The old woman’s eyes travelled down over his torn shirt and pants, the blood on his face, and blinked, startled, when a shift of his head revealed his right eye.

 _“It’s alright!”_ he hurried to put her at ease, “I’m not contagious. I ..uh...well...I had it a long time ago, and this is...er...my lasting gift from it, I suppose.”

She nodded, and approached, motioning for him to sit on the bed, “Please, sit. You’re far too tall for me to work on with ease.”

At that, Julian laughed gently, and turned, sinking down onto the bed, “Story of my life.”

She smiled as she walked up to him, and raising small weathered hands, touched either side of his face. Her hands were calloused but very warm, and he was instantly reminded of Mazelinka. 

Oh would she have a thing or two to say about this, he thought.

“This won’t hurt, but it’ll feel funny,” she warned, “And very hot. Close your eyes.”

He did, and after a second, felt the same tingle he felt when Sabrina cast magic on him. A second after that, his entire face heated up, as if he were blushing crimson from his ears to his chest, like the room suddenly went up twenty degrees.

He remained still, and silent. A few minutes later, he felt her hands fall away, and the heat start to fade.

He felt her remove her hands, and he opened his eyes. She was smiling gently at him, and when he raised a hand and lightly touched his face, he returned the same smile to her.

“My thanks.”

She tutted at him, looking at his torn and bloodied shirt, “You’ve been in a scrap.” 

Turning, she walked over to the wardrobe, and opened it, pausing when she saw it was empty.

“Er...Earlington said he would get me some clothing – no worry.”

She chuckled, closing the doors, “I imagine it’s not easy to find something to fit your frame, Doctor.”

Julian smiled again, faintly, then spoke, “Do you know Sabrina?”

The smile fell from her face, and she pressed her hands together, “The mistress? Yes, I do.”

Julian frowned, “Er...mistress?”

The older woman nodded, “It’s what the Master told us to call her. The other magicians.”

Julian cast his gaze to his feet. That didn’t sound good. Why would he give Sabrina power over the other magicians? She couldn’t take over, of course, the “Master” was still in charge, but...it was another strange thing. If Sabrina was his prisoner, why was he acting kindly towards her, at times?

He looked back up at her, “I imagine that didn’t go over well with her.”

The older woman chuckled, “Oh, no. It didn’t. She threatened to turn me into a frog.”

A look of shock, then despair crossed his face, and he looked away quickly, not meeting her eyes, his voice slightly thick, “A _frog_ , did she?”

There was a pause, and then the old woman spoke, “You _are_ her lover, then? She spoke of you, a little. I almost caught the name. I’m...I’m very sorry.”

Julian looked back at her, “What’s your name?”

She looked startled, as if she wasn’t used to being asked that by anyone above her station – even a prisoner.

“I...I’m Matilda.”

Julian smiled. He reached out and took her hand, gently trapping it between his for a moment, and dipped his head towards her, “Matilda. It’s an honour.”

Matilda's face lit up, and she faintly blushed. Releasing her hand, Julian spoke.

“Matilda, have you....er...been here long? In this mansion? Under the...ah...working for the Duke?”

“Since the....the takeover, yes. So almost ten years ago.”

Julian frowned, “Can you...er....explain what happened? Why do you think Puriew turned against the magicians?”

Matilda’s eyes got large, and she shook her head, “Oh, no. We’re not allowed to talk about that, sir.”

He frowned, “You’re not allowed...what, to just talk about-”

She shook her head, almost violently, “No, sir, we’re not. Please don’t ask me to talk about it.”

Alarmed, and concerned, Julian raised his hands, palms out towards her, “Alright, easy. Easy. I don’t want to get you in trouble or make you do anything you don’t want. Pretend I never asked, hmm? And...call me Julian. I’m not a “Sir”...not _here_ , nor do I _want_ to be.”

Taking a breath, she nodded, “I’ll see about filling a bath for you, then, shall I? Your food and clothing should be here shortly – you can at least get cleaned up, get the blood off you.”

“Thank you.”

He watched as Matilda turned and left, going for whatever supplies she would need. He sank back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling of his room.

What was wrong with this country? Had the entire country gone insane?

 

Three hours passed, and Nadia was starting to worry.

There was no real reason to worry...and yet there was a nagging feeling that something wasn’t going right. She knew she had premonitions, and couldn’t help but wonder if this was one of those...or just plain worry.

She told the others to make sure they were all packed up, in case anything happened and they had to move quickly. Portia was instantly concerned.

“You mean like run?”

“I mean move quickly, dear.”

“That means running.”

“It’s entirely possible Julian may find a way to get Sabrina out, and we will have to move swiftly.”

“She’s right,” Asra said. His few things were already in a bag – in fact he had never really unpacked, “Things are so up in the air here, we should be ready to go at a moment’s notice.”

Portia nodded, and turned to go to the room she and Nadia shared, when there was a quick almost frantic knocking on the door.

Everyone froze, casting worried looks at each other. Portia was the one closest to the door, and so moved towards it. Hesitantly, she took a hold of the latch, and opened it.

Just outside the door, stood Ferdinand, and a very tall blond woman with bright blue eyes, dressed in blacks and reds. They both had bright red scarves tied around their wrists.

Nadia stepped forward, “Ferdinand?”

“You’ve been discovered,” Ferdinand said, stepping into the room, the tall blond right behind him, shutting the door behind them, “We have to get you moved, and hidden, right away.”

“I was afraid of this,” Nadia said, clenching her fists, “Do you have a place for us?”

“ _Places_ , actually,” the tall blond spoke, “I’m Svetlana, Countess, and we’re going to make sure you’re all safe, if you trust us.”

Nadia went very still for a moment, “Ah.”

Ferdinand smiled at her, “Sorry Countess, but I’ve been to Vesuvia before. A face as lovely as yours is hard to forget. Now, pack your things, we have to go. Now.”

“We can’t go yet!” Portia cried, “Ilya’s not back from the Duke’s!”

Svetlana and Ferdinand exchanged a glance, and Portia paled, “He’s ok, isn’t he?”

Ferdinand stepped forward, and placed two large, heavy hands on her shoulders, “I’m sorry, lass. The Duke found out about your brother, and he’s been taken hostage.”

Portia let out a shocked cry, _“No, oh no.”_

Svetlana stepped forward, alongside Ferdinand, “We’re going to free him and his lady love, but first we have to move you all. For now he’s safe and secure. The Duke will keep him uninjured to make sure Sabrina works for him, so he won’t be killed. But if he knows about her and your brother, and he has any knowledge of Vesuvia-” she glanced at Nadia.

“He knows about me, and possibly Asra. You’re right. Everyone, pack, quickly. Once we’re settled, we’ll focus on getting Julian and Sabrina out.”

They turned, swiftly moving back to their rooms. Nadia called to them as she packed her few things, “You said you had several places for us? Are we not to be kept together?”

Asra, already packed, stepped back out into the main room, “We have to be. This place isn’t safe enough to split up.”

“I’m sorry,” Ferdinand said, “but right now, Valdeer is too jumpy and anxious to be able to house you all together. Countess, we’ll take you to a place where some of the more..elite...are being held, and are helping find and possibly rescue magicians. It’s an Embassy, and has some ambassadors from other countries there – all working in secret, of course – and the Duke won’t be able to just barge in without there being some heavy repercussions from other countries if they do. If they do try to storm the place, we’ll at least get a long enough early warning we can move you again.

Asra, our contacts are going to take you to one of the Underground sites, where you’ll be safest. You and your familiar. It’s completely unknown to any authorities in Valdeer.”

Asra looked oddly angered, “No, we stay together. Splitting up, it’s a bad idea.”

“You have to trust us,” Svetlana said, “Right now, we know what’s best-”

“I don’t trust _anyone_ here!” Asra said, hotly, “I trust my friends, and that’s it.”

Nadia stepped out of her room, holding her bag. She walked to Asra, and spoke gently, “I understand this must be very frightening for you, Asra. But I believe they’re right. The best place for you, right now, is where the free magicians are. I can work on my ties with some of these other ambassadors and see what I can do there. I know you don’t like it, but right now, you need to be safe, Asra.”

“Nadia’s right,” Portia said, coming up to stand beside Asra. She was still pale, worried about her brother and her friend, but she was speaking strongly, “You’re the most important one here right now. What’s the point of saving Ilya and Sabrina if _you_ get caught and collared? We’ll have two magicians we have to try and free.”

Asra opened his mouth, but sighed, drooping slightly, “Alright. I’ll go.”

“What of Portia?’ Nadia asked.

Worried, Portia turned large eyes on Nadia, “I’m coming with you!”

Svetlana and Ferdinand looked at each other, and shrugged, “Some of the Ambassadors have clerks, secretaries. Can you read and write?”

“Yes.”

“Then you can either come with us and stay at a small conclave of the Redthroats, or go with the Countess and be her secretary.”

Nadia looked at Portia, and Portia looked at Nadia.

“I’ll be a secretary,” she said.

Ferdinand nodded, “Right. Let’s go. Stay close to us, look like you belong. If someone calls out to you, ignore them, keep walking. If we’re attacked, Svetlana will run interference while you stick to me like glue and we find a hidey hole. Ready?”

Three pale faces nodded. Ferdinand looked at Asra.

“No magic. None. Not for _any_ reason. The Watchdogs are out in force today and they’ll be on you in seconds.”

Asra looked ill, but he nodded.

Ferdinand nodded, and opened the door.

“Then let’s go.”

 

The trip through the city was nerve wracking. They walked in a group, seemingly chatting and just enjoying the day. They all wore cloaks, covering the weapons they carried. Nadia and Portia wore thin swords, hidden. Asra carried a few small daggers, but actually had little weapon training except what was augmented by magic. Svetlana and Ferdinand seemed perfectly at ease with their own swords, and it was quite clear they were more than proficient with them.

No one seemed to notice them, at first, but after they had gone a short distance, they rounded a corner to see a small group of guards standing near the entrance to a street. They were stopping people, getting a good look at them, removing hoods and hats. Ferdinand ushered them back around the corner, hidden, and cursed.

“Right where we need to go. _Damnit_.”

“Is there another way around?”

“No. That street takes us to the very outskirts of the city, where we need to go to get you and Portia to the Embassy. And out to where the Enclave is hidden. They know you’re likely going to try and leave.”

“What do we do?” Asra asked, quietly.

Svetlana and Ferdinand looked at each other, and spoke quickly, in a low tone, in an unknown language. Svetlana seemed worried, and they argued slightly. Ferdinand shook his head, speaking firmly, and eventually, she sighed.

“Alright, here’s what we do,” Ferdinand said, “We’re going to back up a little ways, and I’m going to leave you. Stay with Svetlana at all times. There is going to be a rather large explosion shortly. It will pull the guards away from that street. When they do, move. Don’t look back, go straight down, follow Svetlana. I’ll catch up with you shortly.”

With that, Ferdinand turned, and hurried across the street. He slipped into an empty building on the other side, and within seconds, vanished.

Nadia watched how Svetlana kept looking from the street entrance to where her friend had gone.

Minutes passed.

“Do you think he’s having tro-”

A loud explosion rocked the street, taking out the window of the building with a shattering crash. The explosion could be felt under the feet as well as the shock wave against the face. Bricks toppled outwards, and within seconds, the reflection of flames could be seen inside.

Screams of fear rang out, people running away from the building, streaming across the street.

“Fire!” came a loud voice, “Fire!”

Svetlana turned, looking around the corner, and after a second, waved the others on, “Come! Quickly!”

The four of them hurried around the corner, to see a small tide of people moving away from the burning building into the street, panicking, running from the fire. The guards were running from the entrance, moving towards the building.

Svetlana herded the group into the tide of people, “Hold hands, don’t get lost.”

Nadia, Portia and Asra linked hands, and the Redthroat kept a tight hold on the Countess’ wrist. Not running, keeping with the panicked group of people, they made their way down the street. Several more guards ran past them, not taking any notice. Behind them there was another, secondary explosion, this one smaller than the first, but a few frightened screams still rang out.

Coming to a crossroads, Svetlana herded her charges to the right, making them all stop in a little alcove. Only a few others were walking here, still hurried. The tension of the last few weeks, not coupled with this, were causing people to hurry home.

They waited.

Nadia watched as Svetlana started tapping her foot, casting hurried glances up and down the street. It was a few more minutes before Ferdinand appeared, looking somewhat scorched, but grinning widely.

“Hah! I still got it.”

“Congratulate yourself later,” Svetlana said gruffly, “The guards won’t be put off for long.”

“Right, right.” He looked at the Vesuvians, “Here is where you part ways. Countess, Portia, you come with me and I’ll get you to the Embassy. Asra, you will go with Svetlana – she knows the location of one of the safe houses. Once everyone is settled in, we’ll make contact with you all again.”

“What about Ilya?” Portia cried, “And Sabrina?”

“ _No one_ is being left behind,” Ferdinand promised her, “This will take more planning than I had _expected_ , but your brother and his love will be rescued, I promise you.”

“I’m holding you to that!” the small redhead said, looking sternly up at the pirate.

Ferdinand smiled at her, “I expect you to. Now. Let’s go.”

Nadia and Portia turned, and each hugged Asra tightly. Portia had tears in her eyes, more frightened for him than herself, forcing him to promise to be careful.

“I will, and so will you two. We’ll get out of here.”

“Of course,” Nadia agreed.

Casting an unhappy look backwards at them, Asra followed Svetlana down a small alley, and soon were lost from sight.

Ferdinand clapped another large hand on Portia’s shoulder, “Be brave, lass. The storm is coming, but we’ll all weather it, hmm?”


	9. Chapter 9

As night came on, Julian lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling of his room. He had literally paced until he was exhausted, and now he lay, arms and legs spread, wearily watching the chandelier.

Matilda had returned with several servants all carrying large buckets of steaming hot water. A bathing tub was brought out and filled. Shortly after that, other servants arrived with food, drink, and an armful of clothing. He felt somewhat insulted – attacked, imprisoned, and then dressed. It was...odd. But he had to admit he couldn’t wear his torn, bloody clothing.

Once they had left, with his thanks, Julian undressed and sank into the hot tub with a groan. The hot water made his skin sting, the sore muscles of his battered stomach protesting. He almost didn’t fit, being too tall. His knees tended to jut from the water, but he managed to find a comfortable position.

Washing the blood from his face and neck, managing to at least rinse his hair with hot water and clear the blood from his bangs, he leaned back, eyes closed, trying to calm his mind.

They had to get out.

Julian didn’t trust Earlington at all. He seemed dangerously....not all there, in his mind. As if he couldn’t quite understand why his prisoners might not _want_ to be prisoners.

When Sabrina had begged him, calling him “Master”...he had seemed delighted, as if she had called him beloved. “See? Isn’t this nicer?”

For who? Nicer _for who?_

His stomach twisted as he remembered how Sabrina had begged. It felt so _wrong._

Julian wasn’t a fool. There was nothing wrong with being quiet, seeming docile and weak if it let your captor’s guard down. Only an _idiot_ would continue to fight against the powers if it was just going to get you stabbed, or worse. But that didn’t mean he liked hearing it from her.

They needed......they needed friends, here in the mansion.

He had hoped that Matilda would be that person....someone that would perhaps carry messages, or let him know if there were any secret tunnels or halls in the mansion, like there was in the palace. An inside knowledge. But she seemed too frightened, and considered how Earlington was behaving, he didn’t blame her.

No. He wouldn’t ask. He wouldn’t put her in a position to be in danger. He _couldn’t._

 

Ferdinand moved swiftly. Nadia moved with ease, but Portia had to almost run to keep up. They kept to more abandoned alleys and streets, not really trying to hide, but trying to move unnoticed. The day was losing it’s light, shadows starting to grow long.

When they paused to wait for a small group of guards to pass, Nadia questioned Ferdinand.

“You say there are ambassadors here, trying to rescue the Magicians?”

The Redthroat nodded. He was leaning back against a wall, arms crossed, looking utterly nonchalant. The two women, however, could see how his eyes were constantly scanning the street, “Aye. From several countries. It’s the Tor Bracht Embassy, housing other countries. Lahan. Los Furato. Xan Choi, to name a few. They have magicians living here, that went missing. Some are being pressured by the families to find them – other countries just feel it’s wrong and want to help. Problem is, it’s all got to be done on the low. Valdeer is a strong country, and if it can actually point to something and say, “You came into our country and did this”...well. There could be war.”

Portia listened, eyes wide, “You really think so?”

“Wars have been started for less, lass.”

Nadia studied her hands, her voice low, “I...am ashamed to admit I...did nothing when I heard about this. I knew it was going on, although I didn’t really know to what extent. But I never looked into it. I was...having problems of my own, though nothing like this. I wanted to withdraw from the world. And it’s only now, recently, that I really wanted to do something, and then I felt it was too late.”

Ferdinand spoke, his voice a little stern, “Sometimes, Countess, when bad things happen to people, it’s only stopped when others step in and say, “This cannot be.” Even when it’s not your own country.” His voice changed, then, and he spoke more gently, “However, better late than never. If you really want to help the poor bastards in this country, well, we’re going to the right place. Are you ready, though, if it should come to war?”

Nadia fell silent for a moment, thinking. She felt the weight of Portia’s gaze. After a moment, she lifted her head, and spoke.

“It would be a vote in my country. I would not force anyone to go to war. It is a violent, brutal thing, and unless you truly believe in the cause, it is not fair to expect people to put their lives on the line. However, if the country voted against it, I would still help however I could, and any Vesuvians that wished to take up arms would have my full support.”

Ferdinand’s face split into a wide grin, “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

He gave another look up and down the street. Pushing off from the wall, he nodded, “Let’s keep going.”

It wasn’t too long before they approached a tall, four story white washed building. A tall wall surrounded it, with a large gate at the front. Four guards stood there, swords resting against their shoulders. As they approached, two of the guards stepped forward.

Ferdinand spoke, “Good day. I would like to speak to High Council Josephine, if you please.”

“And the reason for the summons?”

“Sanctuary, and a story about wildflowers.”

The guards did not even blink. One turned, and walked back inside the building, while the second remained where he was. While not appearing overly aggressive, he made it quite clear that should they attempt to pass him, they would be stopped. Firmly.

Five minutes later, and the first guard appeared, and motioned for them to follow.

They passed the other three guards, and walked through the gates. They were led up to a large door, and when it was pushed open, Portia was able to see it looked at least a foot thick, with heavy locks on the inside.

Inside the foyer, it was plain but elegant. Marble floors. A few chairs where people could sit and wait. A large desk with three people working behind it, greeting others, writing letters and carrying mail back and forth. There were massive chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, lighting the room almost as bright as daylight.

The guard passed the large desk, leading them to a side door. He opened the door, and led them inside, following behind.

Inside, seated on a chair, was a tiny woman. Her hair was very short, cut in a fashionable bob, face a wreath of wrinkles. She wore a brilliant orange tunic and matching pants, and yellow shoes. A blue and green plaid shawl was draped around her shoulders. She looked like a tiny, brilliant bird, fragile and delicate. A silver cane stood within reach. She regarded the three as they entered with brilliant blue eyes, like sapphires.

“Welcome to the Tor Bracht Embassy,” her voice, though sounding elderly, was surprisingly strong, and had a thick brouge, “We welcome all seeking sanctuary....” 

She paused, looking closely at Nadia, “Although I am surprised one of ye has need of it.”

She turned, and waved the guard away. He bowed deeply, and with a dark look at Ferdinand, left.

Clearing his throat, Ferdinand spoke, “High Council Josephine, thank you for seeing us. We’re in need of your help.”

“That’s a given. Otherwise ye wouldn’t be here. Come, and sit, and tell me what has happened.”

 

“Stop.”

Asra almost bumped into Svetlana as she suddenly stopped. He backpedaled a few steps, subconsciously patting his left upper arm, where Faust was curled, hiding from sight.

“What is it, what’s going on?”

“A problem.”

They had been moving swiftly along an abandoned pathway leading to the west gate of the city. Asra and Svetlana had seen no one, and considered it lucky, if somewhat worrisome. Why was it abandoned? The cobblestones were tilted as weeds pushed their way up through, the grassy areas on either side of the pathway likewise overgrown with weeds and wildflowers. It was apparent people did not often travel this path.

Peering around the tall blonde woman as they paused near a large boulder, Asra noticed there were three guards at the gate. They looked bored, leaning against the wall by the gate they were supposed to be guarding, arms crossed. They looked like they were just wasting time until they could go home.

“What’s wrong?” Asra asked.

“There should only be one,” Svetlana cursed lowly, “Not three. They must be increasing the presence on any possible way in or out of the city. I had thought to bribe the guard, but not with three. It’s too dangerous.”

Turning his back to the guards, bending over as if he were readjusting his shoes, he tried to keep his voice level, “What do we do? Go back?”

Svetlana watched Asra, arms crossed, as if waiting for her servant to hurry the hell up, “No. It’s too dangerous. The guards in the city made it clear they’re looking for you and your friends. And after the stunt Ferdinand pulled, they’ll be even more strict. These ones clearly haven’t heard any news about the explosion yet. We need to act now.”

“Alright,” Asra stood up again, trying to keep calm, “I trust you. How do we do this?”

Svetlana studied Asra in silence for a few minutes. Asra started feeling uncomfortable. Svetlana’s eyes were a piercing blue, and reminded him of a bird of prey. This was a woman not to cross, he thought.

“How well do you think you can hide your magic? Not use it at all?”

Asra fell silent for a moment. His magic was second nature to him. He called on it without thinking.

“That....depends on what you’re going to do.”

“I’m going to be angry at you. Yell. Curse. Possibly smack you upside the head. Can you keep your magic down?”

Asra blinked at her.

Svetlana narrowed her eyes, though it was apparent she was thinking aloud, not angry at Asra, “This is a seldom used gate. They will want to know why we want to use it now. There is a place just outside that sells rare medicine. It’s sort of frowned upon....illicit drugs and the like.....but not actually _outlawed._ I’m going to say I sent you out to purchase some for me, but you bought the wrong kind, and I am making you go back and exchange it. But I don’t trust you to do it right because you are apparently an idiot. So I am going to be very angry at you. Can you keep your magic down?”

Asra was silent for a moment, then nodded, “If I have to.”

“You have to.”

There was a pause, and she spoke again, “I won’t actually hurt you, you understand. I know how to pull my strikes so they look impressive but are harmless, but unless one is expecting it, it can still cause someone to flinch back and strike out. So you must be ready.”

He nodded, “I am.”

Another pause, and then Svetlana suddenly smiled. It was like the sun came out from behind a cloud. Asra thought this was a woman who didn’t smile often, but when she did, everything around her changed.

“Then let’s go make fools of these guards.”

Asra retruned her smile, “Yes.”

 

The three guards were talking about which places in the city were the better to eat at, when they heard the two approaching the gate. The woman’s shrill shrieking could be heard a long distance away, and the individual in front, walking with his shoulders hunched, almost looked like he just wanted to vanish.

_“I can’t believe I have to spend my time coming all the way out here because you are so utterly **stupid** you can’t even be trusted with the simplest chore! How stupid do you have to be to be unable to go into a store and say you want half a pound of Purple Smokeweed?”_

The guards exchanged glances, and they pushed off from the wall, approaching the two. They did their best to look intimidating.

“Halt.”

The two stopped before the guards. The one in front kept his head down, while the woman in back turned a cold eye on the guards.

“Why are you stopping me? I’m busy, and I don’t have time!”

“You have to make time. You’re going through the west gate?”

“Well that much is obvious, isn’t it?! We wouldn’t be out here on this Godforsaken path, tripping over loose stones, if we weren’t. You think I’m out here for my _health?_ ”

A second guard stepped forward, “State your purpose for leaving the city. There is a curfew going on. No one leaves without good reason.”

“Curfew?” the woman’s voice became shriller, if it was possible, “No one told me about a curfew. Why is there a curfew? I have work to do. My utterly _incompetent_ servant-” the woman turned and seemed to strike the cowed man on the shoulder, a loud, resounding _crack_. He flinched, but made no sound. 

“ - completely screwed up a simple order of Purple Smokeweed -” another strike, another flinch, “ - because he’s stupider than a _cow with shit for brains_ \- “ another slap, this time at the back of the head, “ - and now I have to walk all the way back out here and _watch him as he tries to remember his left hand from his right and buys the right damned thing!”_

She turned a harrowed look at the guards, “I just want my bedamned Purple Smokeweed!”

The guards exchanged looks again. This clearly was a Purple Fogger – someone who smoked the addictive Purple Smokeweed to the point they were hooked. So named because they always had a faint purple tint to their hands and hair, they were generally nice enough people – unless they were in need of a fix...and out of the weed. Which was clearly the case here.

A knowing look passed between the guards. It was soon time for their shift to end, and they didn’t want to deal with this harpy any longer. Let her stupid servant bear the brunt of it.

“Fine. Be back before dark, or you’ll be locked out.”

The woman’s demeanor suddenly changed, and she simpered at them, “ _Oh, yes sirs, thank you sirs._ So kind to a lady. I’ll be certain to let your superiors know how good you were to me.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

The gate was opened with a shuddering creak, and with another slap at her servant, they moved through.

Asra didn’t relax until he heard the gate clang shut behind him, and even then he didn’t raise his head until they were around a corner and out of sight. He turned, looking at Svetlana, eyes sparkling, a grin of delight on his face.

“That was amazing! I hardly felt you touch me, but the slaps were so loud!”

Svetlana smiled back, “It’s all in how you hold your hand. If you curve your palm a little, like this?” She held out her hand, a faint curve in her hand, “You trap air in there. That’s what makes the loud sound, but in reality, you’re just slapping someone with your fingertips. The palm never makes contact.” 

She appraised him cooly, “You weren’t bad either. You flinched very well. I was starting to think I was messing up and really hitting you.”

Asra laughed, a faint blush on his face, “Thank you.”

Svetlana nodded, then grew serious, “Now. Let’s hurry. We’ll just make the Bolthole before dark.”

“Bolthole?”

“The entrance to where I’m taking you. The place the free magicians are hiding.”

 

 

Sabrina paced in her own bedroom, watching as the light faded from the sky.

Shorter than Julian, she was able to take a lot more steps before she moved from one wall to another, but she was shedding as much nervous energy as he had been.

As bad as it was when she was a prisoner....as much as she was upset and frightened when she had been here.....now it was a thousand times worse.

Julian was in danger.

Sabrina trusted the Duke as far as she could throw him. He was unstable, power-hungry, and vile. She had only had to worry about herself. The thought that Julian was now in here as well worried at her frayed nerves.

She paced, around and around and around the room, rubbing her hands together over and over. Images kept flashing through her mind – the bruise forming on his face. The way he looked at her through his hair, as if ashamed he had been caught. That slow, traitorous trickle of blood down his pale throat....

_I have to get him out somehow. He’s in more danger than I am. Earlington needs me. He doesn’t need Julian. And Julian will talk back. He’ll insult him, he’ll make comments that push Earlington too far._

But how? How was she going to smuggle Julian’s tall frame out without being seen?

She threw herself down on the bed, staring miserably up at the chandelier in her bedroom.

Think. Think.

Maybe...maybe if she did her damndest for Earlington, she could be rewarded with seeing him more often. If she could get Mildred to bring her a uniform...it worked in the palace that time, maybe it could work again....

The only thing was, unlike the last time, Julian was already caught, and there was no way the Duke was going to allow Julian free reign in the mansion. There would be no opportunity to get into a uniform and sneak out.

She tossed and turned until exhausted, she fell asleep.

 

The next morning, she awoke, stiff and cold. She hadn’t changed from her clothing the day before, and they were rumpled and wrinkled. Not really caring at this point, she simply waited for Mildred to bring her breakfast so she could get started.

Sabrina was going to ramp up her work on the spiders. There was no way in hell she was going to allow him full use of his army. Not now. It was personal. He had kidnapped and threatened Julian.

When Mildred arrived, Sabrina spoke little to her, just going through the motions like a machine herself. The elderly servant tried her best to bring her out, but after a few failed attempts, gave up. Sabrina finally apologized, explaining she just wasn’t in a talkative mode.

She was taken down to the area she was starting to think of as the catacombs, and returned to work on the spiders. Again, she lost all sense of time, sinking herself into the delicious sensation of her own magic. When she finally awoke under her own power, she was cold and stiff again, and counted twenty of the spiders, all standing with a gleam in their gem eyes.

Sabrina stood, looking back at them, an almost hollow pit in her stomach.

 _Look at them. Ugly brutes._ she thought.

They remained still, awaiting commands.

_You don’t have any thoughts of your own, do you? Just stupid machines._

Silence.

_He wants you for something. And he kidnapped me. Came to my city and kidnapped me. And now he has Julian. Julian’s not even a magician, this is so unfair. He shouldn’t be involved._

A faint sense of anger formed inside her. A low heat, blossoming in her belly.

_He doesn’t **deserve** this. He’s been through too much already, thinking he had killed someone in cold blood, ready to give up on himself and die just because he was tired of running._

_It’s not right. It’s not **fair**._

_I put so much into you. **My** own blood. **My** own power, **my** own skills. **My** heart, **my** soul. You’re not really his at all, are you?_

_You’re **mine**._

One of the spiders shifted. The front half of it’s body seemed to shift slightly, almost angling it’s “head” downward, it’s black gem eyes focusing on her.

Sabrina blinked, startled out of her thoughts. The spider remained as it was, seemingly “looking” at her.

It had heard her. And responded.

She stood there, heart up in her throat, pounding so painfully loud she thought it must be echoing through the chamber. She waited for it to move, to attack, swing the blade-like mandibles out at her, stabbing into her flesh. Every nerve felt like it was on fire, heightened awareness, ready to leap aside at it's first movement.

It remained perfectly still. "Looking" at her.

Sabrina cautiously peered around the bulk of the spider, looking back to where she knew Apollo was standing guard over the door. From the area she was now, there was no way he could see her, or the giant spider she was facing. Peering back at the large spider looking at her, she gathered her thoughts, swallowing nervously, and projected.

_~Step forward.~_

The massive bulk of the spider suddenly lurched forward, almost rushing her with it’s size. It made a clicking sound on the floor as it’s skittered forward. Sabrina gasped, backing up a step, bumping into the next spider in the line, pressing herself up against it’s cold metal. She felt trapped between the two creatures for a moment, heart pounding again. Her breathing was haggard.

The spider she had spoken to remained one step forward. It went completely still once more, not moving. Only it’s black gem eyes, still glittering, still focused on her.

 _I made it move,_ she thought, stunned, _it listened to me._

She remained where she was, almost light headed. She still half expected the thing to attack her. Trying to control her ragged breathing, she focused again.

But it was out of place, and if anyone were to see, they would have questions.

_~Move back to your original location.~_

Another skittering lurch, and it was back in place.

_~Retire.~_

The head seemed to lift up, going back into it’s usual position. Inert, motionless, it looked no different than the others that surrounded it.

She felt a wave of fatigue wash over her, almost threatening to pull her down. She sank to the floor, kneeling, bringing her hands to her face as she mulled over what had just happened.

_I called to it, and it heard me. It listened. I can control it._

Her words came back to her. _I put so much into you. My own blood. My own power, my own skills. My heart, my soul. You’re not his at all, are you?_

_You’re mine._

Though still shaken, a slow smile formed on her face. It wasn’t a particularly nice smile. If anyone who knew her saw it, they would find it unlike her, cold and almost gleeful.

_You’re mine. I can **control** you._

Pulling herself to her feet, she felt a little more secure. While she couldn’t use the spider to break Julian out and escape – one spider would be destroyed by the guards to easily, and with the collar on, she could still be killed – but at least she had an ace up her sleeve should an opportunity ever present itself.

She steeled herself, and moved on to the next one.

 

Nadia and Portia’s morning had been as productive.

They had spoken to Josephine, and they had managed to get a great deal of information regarding what was going on in Valdeer, and what the Tor Bracht embassy was doing.

Ordering drink and food for the three visitors, the elderly Josephine had listened to their story, interrupting seldomly to ask questions. When she was satisfied with the answers, she let them continue.

Finally, she spoke.

“Well Countess, ye’ve certainly landed yerself in quite the pickle now, haven’t ye? Valdeer’s found itself facing a civil war, and make no mistake. It was bound tae happen, though. Ye can’t round up an entire group o’ people and slap collars on ‘em, and turn them intae slaves without there bein’ trouble. It was only ten years ago. Families were split apart, children taken from parents, parents dragged away from their bairns. And all because one man decided overnight he didnae like them no more. Madness.”

Portia found herself concentrating on Josephine’s accent – at times it was hard to understand what she was saying for a moment, before her mind caught up.

“Do you know what happened?” she asked, “Why did Puriew just decide overnight he didn’t trust magicians anymore?”

“That, no one knows, lassie. His own magicians were cast away like so much garbage. Loyalty meant nothing, it seemed.”

“So what are you doing here?” Nadia asked, “Ferdinand tells us you’re...well...” she faltered slightly, not sure just how to say it.

But Josephine finished it for her, “Runnin’ an anti-government plan tae rescue the magicians and smuggle them outae the city? Aye, that sounds about right.” Her brilliant blue eyes sparkled.

The elderly lady nodded towards Ferdinand, “We’re relyin’ a lot on the Redthroat here, and his crew. Like fleas, they are, always there, though you can’t be seein’ them. It’s like a running secret....if you know what the red scarf is for, you can be trusted. If you don’t....you can’t. They’re useful for running interference, getting us information, being where we can’t, aye?”

“We don’t normally involve ourselves in personal problems,” Ferdinand smiled at Portia, “Not because we don’t want to, but we’re trying to help everyone. Can’t get bogged down in every story. You lot are a different story, though. That was personal. Had to repay Maz, didn’t I?”

Portia grinned.

“So how do you help?” Nadia asked. “You understand once I am out of Valdeer, I will give you whatever aid you need. I should have been more helpful...my family should have done more, but at the time, little information was getting out of Valdeer. By the time we knew what had happened...I...wasn’t really in a good place to be of help.”

“Ye’re here now, Countess,” Josephine said, “And once ye’re back in Vesuvia, there is plenty you can be doing. I’ll be taking you up on that offer.

What we do here is find out where the missing magicians are. We bribe people who can be bribed, and help smuggle magicians out of Valdeer into one of the undergrounds we have around here. We are working with some free magicians who are there to find and free more. It’s getting difficult, however, as now all magicians are required to wear the collars. And most....”owners” of magicians have Blackstone towers around their property to keep them in.”

Portia and Nadia exchanged a glance, “Blackstone?”

Ferdinand nodded, “Aye. A type of rare black quartz. It’s very good at storing and holding magic....or blocking it outright, depending on whatever polarity is set into it. It causes an unpleasant sensation in most magicians. Collared ones can’t pass them at all – it causes pain. Bring a magician into an area, set up blackstone pillars in four corners...voila. Instant magician cage.”

“That’s what Asra was talking about!” Portia looked at Nadia, “Remember, he said something about his friends told him there were these weird anti-magic pylons or something? They must have meant the Blackstone!”

“Asra?” Josephine asked.

“Magician friend, who came into the belly of the beast to help rescue the other magician.”

“A brave soul,” Josephine said, “it couldnae been easy for a non-collared magician to willingly enter Valdeer. But they’re not here? Where are they?”

“A companion took him to the Bolthole.”

Josephine nodded. Reaching out and taking a cane, she pulled herself to her feet, flapping a hand at Ferdinand as he offered an arm, “Ach, the day I cannae stand on my own is the day I go lie down in my grave. Shoo.”

Ferdinand laughed.

Josephine turned and regarded Nadia, “Now then, Countess. We’ll be helping your friends, but fair is fair and we give and take, aye? Here is where you earn yer keep.”

“Fair is fair,” Nadia smiled, rising as well. She smoothed out her pants, “What do you want me to do?”

“We’re going tae be needin’ contact information in Vesuvia of who can be trusted to run messages for us, who can help smuggle out any magicians we rescue and send your way. We’ll keep Vesuvia’s name off any papers – most of the countries helping us are doing so in secret.”

Nadia nodded, and motioned for Josephine to lead the way, “After you.”

 

 

Asra, likewise, had had a successful night and morning.

Svetlana and Asra had moved through the heavily wooded area all through the night. Even though Svetlana obviously knew the way to the Bolthole, it still took several hours before they arrived. During the night, they passed an inn that looked homey, though not very luxorious. There was a lantern in the window, burning lowly. Hidden just back in the brushline, they both sat, taking a brief rest.

“A way point,” Svetlana whispered to Asra, “for those seeking the Bolthole. The owners of the Inn, like many in Valdeer, can’t get openly involved, but they do what they can. Every night, the lantern is kept lit in that window if it’s safe to seek the entrance to the Bolthole. If the lantern is dark, we’d have to hunker down and stay still until morning light. It would mean Watchdogs had been through the area, looking for stray or runaway magicians.”

Asra narrowed his eyes, “It’s disgusting.”

“Oh I agree.”

Motioning for him to keep following her, Svetlana took the lead again.

“Why are you helping the magicians?” Asra asked. “I don’t want to seem ungrateful, but....what’s in it for you? You’re obviously not a magician, and you’re risking your own safety....maybe even your life....to do this.”

Svetlana peered back at Asra, looking over her shoulder, smiling, “There are many reasons. I do not like what they are doing. Slavery is wrong, in all forms. 

What do you know of us? The Redthroats?”

Asra pushed a branch out of his way, passing silently by, “Only what I heard Julian and Portia say. That you’re pirates, with a sense of honour, that your word is your bind. If you didn’t want to help us, you wouldn’t, you wouldn’t lie about it.”

Svetlana nodded, “Aye. That’s the basic gist of it.”

As she walked, she spoke, her voice low and mellow, her accent not too heavy to follow.

“The Redthroats are led by three Captains, with one Captain over them. Captain Hamhand is the leader over all. Below him are the captains Ironfist, Whipcrack, and Greentooth. They oversee the Redthroats in three different locations around the world. Here, we are led by Captain Ironfist. She’s incredibly tough.

Captain Hamhand, the one who founded the Redthroats, was a slave in his younger days. Just a child, he watched as his parents and siblings were killed in front of him, just because there wasn’t enough room on the ship that was taking them from their homes to where they would be sold. He attacked his captor, and strangled him with his bare hands. He has huge hands. It’s how he got his name.”

Asra was quiet.

“He founded the largest pirate organization ever. And there are rules. Important rules. The most important being you live by your word. You don’t lie, you don’t trick. You speak only the truth. If you like someone, you tell them. If you’re going to kill someone, you tell them that, too. Betrayal is punishable by death, and Hamhand himself carries it out.

When the crackdown on Valdeer happened, Hamhand was just offshore. A lot of magicians escaped in small rowboats, or even rafts made of planks of wood. The magicians begged to come aboard, but he wouldn’t allow it. He didn’t understand what was happening, you see. They were exaggerating. There was no way an entire country would enslave their own magicians.

Guards came out in boats of their own, to gather up the magicians. Hamhand started getting a bad feeling, as the magicians were choosing to jump into the water and try to swim over being caught. He intervened, and at that moment, several of the magicians that had served proudly aboard Hamhand’s ship were killed.”

“I...imagine it didn’t go over well.”

“It didn’t,” Svetlana’s voice was hard, “Hamhand had the guards keelhauled. One of the magicians that was killed was the best friend of Hamhand. On that day, he swore an oath to find out what happened and kill the one responsible.

This was before we started wearing the scarves, you understand. If Valdeer knew we were actual Redthroats....our lives would be worthless. We would be tortured for information, then killed.”

“It’s odd to think of pirates as....honourable.” Asra said softly, not wanting to give offence, “I mean, you rob ships, sink them....”

“But we are honest about it,” Svetlana laughed, “We do not hurt or hinder the poor, the crippled, the sick or weak. Only the fat, rich merchants, do we go after, and even among them are those who we know we can run to should our pirates get in trouble. We run our colours when we sail – we do not pretend to be merchants, as do some pirates, only to spring on unsuspecting victims who think they are coming to the aid of a fellow merchant.”

Asra smiled, “I think I like the Redthroats. But like I said....you’re taking a very big risk. Personally. Why?”

Svetlana paused, her smile failing. After a moment, she spoke, “I am a twin. My sister was very kind, very soft hearted. And very skilled in magic. She was visiting friends in Valdeer the night of the overthrow.”

Asra cast his gaze down to his feet as they walked, “I....I’m sorry.”

“I am luckier than some,” she answered, her voice emotionless, “I was able to find her body and bring her home to our parents to be buried. Watch your step here, it is very rocky.”

 

Asra was surprised when Svetlana called a halt in what appeared to be an empty area of the forest. They stepped off the trail, and moved forward towards some slightly mossy rocks. Looking around for a dryish place to sit, she managed to perch on the edge of one of the rocks.

“Make yourself comfortable somewhere,” she said, “We’re here.”

Still standing, Asra looked around. He couldn’t see anything around that looked anything like a hide away for the magicians. Just forest, some mossy stones, and Svetlana. The sky was just starting to lighten, allowing the tops of the trees to be visible, a darker black against a lighter black. He had seen nothing that would give any sign of where to step off the trail.

“Are you sure?”

Svetlana smiled at him, “Yes. Sit. Might as well rest before they meet us.”

Deciding he had no choice but to trust her, and feeling tired and drained, Asra walked around the small enclosure until he found what looked like a somewhat dry rock, and perched on it.

Asra pulled his cloak tighter around his body, feeling the cold night air sinking into his bones.

He was exhausted.

He had never realized how tiring it was to keep his magic hidden. Had never realized just how much he used in his daily life. He had always thought he wasn’t one of those magicians that almost tend to show off their magic, using it overmuch, being dramatic and using it for mundane things, like pouring tea or serving cookies. Asra respected magic, and never used it for anything frivoulous. Apparently, he used it a lot more than he was aware, extending it like a sixth sense.

Being forced to keep it quiet, hide all signs of it....it gave him a deep seated fatigue. Even Faust was quiet and still, and Asra wondered if she was sleeping.

Asra gave a deep sigh, lowering his head. After a moment, his eyes grew heavy. His feet felt leaden, and he couldn’t really move his legs. Fatigue crept through his bones once he stopped moving.

In the distance, dawn birds started to call.

Asra had no idea how long he dozed like that, seated on the rock, elbows resting on knees, head lowered, until he heard conversation, and jerked his head up, to see Svetlana talking to three others. He had no idea how they got there, seemingly having just appeared, as if...well..by magic.

He quickly got to his feet, uncomfortable with the fact they had arrived while he was literally asleep sitting up, and approached Svetlana. He was relived to hear the woman’s voice wasn’t strained or angry, so these must have been the people she was expecting.

The newcomers, a woman and two others, stood cloaked in black, speaking lowly. The woman’s eyes were a rich dark brown, her skin the color of chocolate. She seemed to be the leader in the group, as she did the majority of the talking.

“- and you’re certain you weren’t followed?”

Svetlana sniffed, as if insulted, and the woman smiled broadly, “Apologies. You know we have to ask.”

“Apologies accepted. We weren’t followed. I’ve brought you another. He needs help. I can explain once we’re safe, and he has a chance to rest. We’ve been moving all night, and he’s been Dimming.”

The woman turned and regarded Asra quietly. Asra looked back at her, almost dull with exhaustion. He sensed a warm spirit in the woman, and felt that much more at ease, but he swayed on his feet.

“Bring him,” she said, her voice deep, mellow and rich, “We’ll take care of him. And you, Svetlana? Are you coming as well, or just dropping him off?”

“I need to talk to Johan. It’s important.”

Something flickered in the woman’s eyes for a minute, “It must be. Very well. Follow us.”

She turned, speaking to the two others who had stood by, silent.

“Omar, Rebecca, follow us, and make sure the way is sealed.”

They nodded. The leader went ahead. She motioned for Asra to follow her. Behind him came Svetlana, then the two others.

At first, Asra thought she was going to lead them onto another path through the forest. She seemed to be walking away from the small clearing, and into the thicker part of the brush. However, once they started to pass a large dead tree, she stopped. Reaching out, she ran her hands over the grey trunk of the dead tree, as if caressing it.

Asra saw no bolt, no lever, or clasp, but suddenly, the entire trunk split in two, utterly silent, and she swung it open.

A hole in the ground revealed stairs, angling downwards, disappearing in the darkness after the second step. It looked like a hole that lead to the middle of the earth.

It was just big enough for two people to stand side by side, close together, the entire trunk of the tree hollowed out.

“Watch your step,” the woman said, disappearing down into the darkness, “There’s a rail after the third step. Use it so you don’t fall.”

Asra was almost too tired to be nervous. He almost stumbled forward, Svetlana reaching out swiftly and catching him by the shoulders, righting him, “Whoa now. Don’t fall and break your neck. Portia would kill me. That one holds her friends close.”

Asra smiled tiredly, “We all do.” Easing down to the third step, he reached for the rail, and when his fingers closed around it, slowly made his way down.

 

At the bottom, Asra was taken by a group to a place where he could rest. Blankets and pillows were thrown onto the floor in a corner, with a small privacy curtain. One, a person with a long blonde braid and green eyes introduced themselves as Bria. They were almost completely concealed in a black cloak, hood up. The braid wandered out from the hood and rested on a shoulder.

“You can rest here, Asra, and relax. You can safely use magic here, though nothing large or major. Anything you would use that wouldn’t annoy someone several feet away.”

Asra blinked at Bria, “I can use magic here? What about the Watchdogs?”

“You know of the Blackstone?”

“Blackstone?”

Bria explained, then, at Asra’s nod, they spoke again, “The people who found this place? They discovered it has a natural ceiling of Blackstone. There is a heavy layer between us and the surface. No magic makes it to the surface. You are safe here, Asra.”

Asra felt as if everything inside him loosened, relaxing. Finally, finally, he could put down his guard, and just relax. It added to his overall exhaustion. He trudged towards the blankets, preparing to settle.

“Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you have a familiar who needs attention?”

“Oh...Faust.”

Reaching inside his shirt, Asra pulled out the snake. Faust was still, not harmed, but as tired as her master.

Asra frowned, worry creeping into his voice, “She looks pale.”

“She has likely been keeping her presence low. Rest, both of you, and relax. We have guards here that patrol – so if you hear a group of people walking, do not worry.” They offered Asra a genuine smile, “Once you are awake, ask anyone here for directions to the mess hall. There you and your familiar can eat and drink. If...Faust, is it....has any other needs, they will be seen to as well.”

Asra was so tired, he felt tears threatening to prick at his eyes. The past few days had been hell, and worse was the constant fear his magic might endanger his friends. Nor was he going to lie and say he hadn’t been afraid for himself. The thoughts of ending up a slave....

“Thank you,” Asra cleared his throat, looking away for a second, before offering Bria a tired smile, “Really. I feel...like myself...for the first time since I got here.”

Bria returned his smile. They motioned for him to settle on the blankets, and turning, pulled across the curtain. Asra sunk into the blankets, listening to Bria’s footsteps vanish into the distance. He was able to give one last, guilty thought about how he shouldn’t be resting but trying to find out what was going on with the others, when he sank into the oblivion of sleep.

 

A day passed.

For Julian and Sabrina, not much happened. Certainly, for Julian, nothing happened at all, save that he felt more and more trapped in a small confined space and pacing could only do so much.

The Duke had brought him some clothing, as he had said he would, and against his wishes, Julian dressed. It as damned uncomfortable, wearing the clothing of someone who had basically attacked and confined you, slapping magical cold-inducing bracelets on him. The last few times he had been imprisoned....and some of those stories he hadn’t told Sabrina...at least not _yet_.....if he had been given clothing to wear, it had been prisoner’s garb. Moth eaten, dirty, ancient stains covering the majority of it. Here he was given...well...clothing he’d be hard pressed to buy in the markets of Vesuvia, unless specially ordered. So he wavered between not wanting to wear anything of the Duke’s, to feeling that the Duke owed him something decent since his goons destroyed the nice clothing he had been wearing. Finally, he caved, and dressed.

Now, pacing in his room, he wore clothing as similar to his usual as possible. Dark blue pants, a black sash belt, and a light cream colored long sleeved shirt. He missed his normal shirts – he so enjoyed the voluminous sleeves, but sadly it wasn’t the fashion here in Valdeer, and he had to make do with less flouncy sleeves. No boots or shoes. It was apparent if he was going to try and escape, he’d have to do it in his sock feet.

Well...he was up for the challenge, anyway.

Matilda had arrived bright an early, and had asked him what he wanted for breakfast. After trying to explain he really didn’t want anything at all....she had seemed so concerned that he wasn’t going to eat, he actually felt guilty, and agreed to some toast and fruit.

“And coffee,” he added, “Lots of coffee, please.”

She had brought him his breakfast, and lingered a little as he drank the coffee with gusto. At least Valdeer could make good coffee, he thought.

Matilda had stayed and chatted with him lightly, asking about his life. She seemed genuinely curious about him, and he filled her in on what he could. Explaining about how he and a sibling had been shipwrecked as children, growing up somewhat wild with another group of children, taken care of by a group of people in a large, mixed family. Some of his more tame adventures.

Although he was growing fond of her, Matilda was still an unknown, and he didn’t know how much he could tell her, how much she was forced to tell the Duke. So he kept Portia’s name out of it.

Matilda excused herself to go see to some duties, but returned shortly after. She seemed content to just stand around, talking to him about anything, and after a short while, Julian started to think she was lonely.

It must be a hard way to live, he thought, not able to do anything on your own, being a slave in your own city. Living at the whim of another. Did she have a husband? Where was he? Was he a magician as well, serving someone else?

After a little while, she spoke, hesitantly, shyly.

“Do you....do you play games?”

He looked at her, confused, “Er...games? I’m sorry?”

“Chess? Checkers? Drudges? Anything like that?”

“Oh! Er...I’ve been known to play checkers from time to time, yes, and chess. I do enjoy chess, although -” he leaned forward and spoke in a conspiratorial tone - “I don’t really have the patience to play well. I rush and make mistakes.”

He leaned back in his chair, grinning as she laughed.

“I....there’s a checkers board in the cupboard there, and the pieces, if you...I mean, if...”

“My dear I would _love_ to play,” Julian smiled, “But are you certain you won’t get into trouble? Playing games instead of whatever...er...chores you have?”

“Oh no,” she said, “I usually have this time of day to myself. Breakfast has been out, that’s about it. I usually look after Master’s guests, and there’s only two right now, and..both of you are so easy to look after. You’re...you’re both very kind, and don’t make demands on me.”

Julian smiled. He could correct her on the word “guests”, but he didn’t want to upset her. Matilda seemed an honest, gentle soul.

He rose and cleared off the tray his breakfast had been on, as Matilda went to a drawer and withdrew the board and pieces. She carried them back, setting up the board.

“Do you mind if I play red?” she asked quietly.

“Not at all,” he settled down into a chair, “but I warn you, it’s..er....been a while since I played. I’m certain you’ll trounce me soundly.”

She laughed, shaking her head, “Oh, it’s been a while since I played too, so we’re evenly matched.”

Matilda sat across from him, and laid out the pieces. She lined up the red on her side, and set out the black on his. She paused, looking at the pieces in silence for a minute, before looking up at him with a sheepish look on her face.

“I can’t remember who goes first.”

“It’s always ladies first,” Julian smiled smoothly. Matilda laughed, and reaching out, moved the first piece.

In silence they played for a little while, the only sound the faint rustling of clothing, the creaking of their chairs as they moved, and the soft skitter of the pieces on the board. Julian’s window was open slightly, and occasionally the sound of someone calling to someone else could be heard.

Matilda spoke, breaking the silence, “What is Vesuvia like? That’s where you’re from, isn’t it? Vesuvia?”

“Er...well, recently, yes, but I didn’t grow up there. I....well, I travelled a great deal once I left my home...er....looking for adventure, I guess you’d say. Wanderlust, and all that.” He carefully moved a piece on the board, “But Vesuvia is delightful. It’s..er...it’s not like other large cities. There’s still a sort of...er...hominess to it. Not as...metropolitan as other cities as large. The people are generally more friendly. Not as much division between classes....though there is some, of course. There always is.”

“And you’re a doctor there? Do you like it?”

Julian smiled, moving another piece, “I love it.”

Matilda studied the pieces laid out before her, carefully moving one, “What made you want to be a doctor? You said you were looking for adventure. The two don’t normally go together, do they?”

Eyes on the checker pieces, Julian smiled wryly, “I never _was_ sensible. I wanted to have grand adventures....like my parents used to. But at the same time, I wanted to help people too. My....er..my mother used to say I had a need to take care of others. As a child I was always bringing injured animals aboard the ship.”

“Ship?”

Julian leaned back in his chair, folding his hands. He smiled at her, “My parents were merchants on a ship. My parents, their small crew, and their children. It all felt very normal to me, being on a ship, instead of land. My earliest memories are playing on the deck of the ship.”

He smiled fondly, “I used to fall asleep at night in a hammock. It would rock me with the waves.”

Mildred moved another piece, leaning back as well, “You said your parents had adventures?”

Julian’s smile broadened, and he laughed, “Oh, _tons_. Most before I came along, of course. There were a few once we were born, but they were more...mild. Neither of my parents would consider getting involved in an adventure with two children in tow!”

His smile lessened slightly, growing more bittersweet, “I remember me and Pa – er....my sibling...lying in our hammocks, and our parents telling us stories about some of their adventures. My sibling was really too young to know what they were talking about, but I knew. High adventure, great chases at sea, dodging highwaymen....sometimes they found the adventure, sometimes it found them. More than once one of them would get into trouble.”

“They sound like good parents.”

“Oh they were!” Julian looked back at her, smiling again, “They were. And they always.....” 

He fell silent for a minute, before speaking gently, fondly, again, “They were always a _team_. No matter what trouble one got into – and they were both pretty even in that regard – the other was always there by their side. Even if they felt the other did something utterly stupid to cause the trouble....they had each other’s backs.”

His smile suddenly grew, “I remember one time, my father telling me about this time.....he accidentally get involved with a rather violent gang. I can’t even remember how it happened now, but they came to the ship looking for him. They were getting ready to attack him, beat him up.”

He barked a laugh, “My mother was waiting. She met them at the gangplank with no less than _four_ flintlocks, one in each hand and one on each hip, all primed and loaded, and her sword ready to go. _“He may be an idiot, but he’s my idiot, and you’ll not touch a hair on his head!”_ she cried. Father said they ran off so fast one of them left a shoe behind!”

Matilda laughed, delighted, “Yes, they sound very interesting. I can see why you developed a taste for adventure.”

They fell silent for a moment, enjoying the game. After a minute, he cleared his throat, and spoke, “Ah...er....have you seen Sabrina today?”

Matilda nodded, looking up from the game to his face, “I have. She’d down working for Master.”

“And she...she’s alright?”

“She seemed to be, yes. She’s very upset, though.”

Julian frowned, his brow furrowed, “Upset? What’s wrong?”

Matilda blinked, “She’s worried about you.”

He leaned back, his face looking crestfallen, “Oh. Oh, she....she shouldn’t worry about me. I’m alright. I get through, always do. But she, she was....”

Julian fell silent for a minute, then spoke, “He hit her.”

Matilda was silent.

Julian looked away, running a hand through his hair. He gazed at the window for a moment, as if longing to just leap to freedom, before looking back at Matilda, stress on his face.

“Whose turn is it? I don’t remember.”

“Yours.”

He leaned forward, and seemingly just moved a piece at random, not really paying attention to the game.

It was quiet for a few minutes, and then she spoke.

“How did you meet?”

Julian blinked, looking up at her, “Er.....I’m sorry?”

“You and Sabrina. How did you meet?”

“Oh that....that’s....an _odd_ story,” he faintly smiled.

“If it’s not too personal, Julian, I’d like to hear it.”

Julian paused, thinking. He looked down at his hand, where the brand lay, clear and visible on the back of his left hand. He started to rub it lightly with his thumb.

“I was...er....in a very bad place when she met me.”

He looked at her, and held up his branded hand, “Do you know what this is?”

Matilda shook her head. 

“It’s a brand. For a crime. Murder.”

Matilda blinked.

Clearing his throat, Julian started talking again, “Three years back, I was working in Vesuvia, working on the Red Plague. I...er....contacted the plague, and I was down in the...er....medical area. That night, the Count was killed. People claimed I did it.”

Matilda leaned forward, her eyes wide. Before she could speak, Julian spoke again, “I didn’t, but....my memories had been...er....taken. By the....the illness, I suppose.” 

Before he could say anything else, Matilda spoke, “You were the one the Hanged Man dealt with.”

Julian blinked, startled. After a second, he gave another bark of laughter, “I forgot. The Magicians here know the story as well as _I_ do, don’t they?”

Matilda just smiled.

“Then you may or may not know that I didn’t, in fact, kill the Count. The idiot went up in flames on his own. Only I was an idiot as well, and confessed, then escaped.”

He paused.

“Anyway....I returned to Vesuvia to...make amends, I suppose. I was tired. Tired of running. Tired of....”

Another pause. His gaze fixed on his hand, he spoke quietly, “Tired of hating myself. For killing in cold blood. I was tired of being homeless. Tired of no friends, no real family. Tired of...being alone. I didn’t want to bring anything down on anyone’s head, and I....er....I felt that I didn’t _deserve_ anything other than death.

I came back to Vesuvia to die.”

Julian gave a careless shrug, locking away the emotions. Even now, when he spoke of it, he felt that small fluttering of fear, of distress, of pain and grief and loneliness that he had been _bathing_ in for years. Looking at himself in a mirror and wondering if he was looking at a murderer. Someone who didn’t kill in self defence, but cold blood.

Clearing his throat, he shifted slightly in the chair, “Anyway...ironically, Sabrina was hired to find me, by the Countess, and bring me to justice. She found me, only not exactly how she expected, and we started talking.”

A wide smile, “I bought her a drink, but she stole mine _right out of my hands._ She seemed different that what I expected from the palace. She actually listened to my side. Or what I thought was my side.”

He chuckled, then sobered slightly, eyes on the checker board, “After we ran into each other a few more times, I...couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was treating me like a....a person. Not a monster, not a murderer. She didn’t seem like she wanted to have me arrested, she seemed like she just wanted to figure it all out, and I....I wasn’t expecting that. _At all._ ”

He gave a lopsided smile, “So of course, the very next thing I did was tell her to leave and don’t look back.”

Matilda blinked.

“I had this terrible habit of driving everyone away. I wasn’t...I wasn’t good at _sharing_ myself. Not my _real_ self. Oh I could flirt, and charm, and put on a show, but I had no idea how to be calm and just be _me._ And I was utterly convinced that once Sabrina saw that, she’d be disgusted and walk away, and I....well...I’d rather have it end on a happier note than that, yes?”

He looked up at Matilda, and the stricken look on her face startled him.

“I’m sorry, this must sound _dreadfully_ depressing!”

“No, please! Continue!”

“Er...if you’re sure. It gets happier, promise!”

She nodded, encouragingly.

“Well....after I dramatically ended it, and went and became woefully drunk....who ended up standing by my table, was Sabrina, and my sibling.”

He smiled, toying with a cherker lightly, “Even though she thought I wasn’t interested....she still wanted to find out what happened. If I was guilty. She still wanted to help me.

I wasn’t used to that...kindness. She still wanted me to be free. So I....I...”

He looked back up at her, and smiled, shrugging helplessly, “I fell in love. Every time I tried to hide behind my doubt, my fear, my self-loathing, she’d figuratively grab me by the hair and yank me out of my hole and get me to face responsibility and grow up, and....it was the _damndest_ thing.”

“What was?”

“I started off wanting to be a better person, a better man, for _her_. So that she’d look at me with pride and love....but....after a while...I started wanting to be a better person for _me_. I wanted to like the person in the mirror. I still wanted her to be proud of me, of course. I still do. But....she drove me to want to be better for myself. For my own....my _soul_.”

Julian leaned forward, and moved a piece on the board. Leaning back, he smiled, folding his hands again, long fingers interlinking. The sun had moved, and was starting to cast shadows on the floor.

“I wanted what my father had. It was ingrained in me, I suppose, from a young age. Find your perfect partner. Find the one who completes you, if I may be cliche. Find the one who makes you want to sing. Find the one that makes you feel like you’ve been living under a cloud, and now the sun has come out. Find the one who will meet your enemies at the door armed to the teeth because even though they were foolish and got in trouble, you’re a team, and you stick together, you love each other, you _adore_ each other, and no one harms the other.”

Julian smiled at her for a second, then his smile faltered, and fell.

“And now she’s a prisoner.....and so am I. And I can’t do anything for her.”

Silence.

“Julian...”

He shook his head, “Sorry.”

Matilda watched him, lightly twisting her hands together. After a long moment of silence, she spoke.

“I...I can take messages to her from you, if you want.”

He blinked, looking up at her, “You...I’m sorry, what?”

“If you want to....to write to her, or....just...anything....I can sneak them to her if you want. And bring them back.”

Hope starting to blossom in his heart, he leaned forward, “Are you sure? Matilda, are you _sure_? I don’t want you to get in trouble for us. If it’s found out, will you be beaten, or....or killed? It’s not worth that.”

Matilda smiled, “No one questions me. I’ve been here too long, never made a peep against Master. I only work with the guests...I wouldn’t offer if I thought I’d get caught.”

“Then you....you _will_? You’ll.....”

Grinning, he lunged out of his chair, moving swiftly to the writing desk, “Just a note. Small. Just to...to let her know I’m ok. I...thank you, my dear, really. I mean it.”

She smiled happily at him, hands folded in her lap. He had completely forgotten about their game.

It didn’t take him long before he had quickly scribbled something out, trying to print as clearly as possible, knowing she was one of the few who could read his handwriting but still found it difficult at times. Blotting the ink with blotting paper to get it to dry faster, he looked at Matilda.

“I don’t suppose...er....there’s anyone here I could talk to about...ah...things I shouldn’t be talking to them about?”

Matilda looked at him, confused.

Julian folded the paper in two, then in two again, making it as small as he could before walking over to stand by the older woman and hand her the paper. He sank back into his chair, and looked at her quietly.

“Matilda, we can’t stay here. Sabrina and I have to get out.”

She looked stricken, “You....you can’t.”

“If we stay, I fear he’ll kill her if she doesn’t do something he wants. He has a temper. He’s already hit her!”

Matilda looked down at her hands, twisting them together, “He’ll punish you if you try to escape.”

“He’ll punish us regardless. He’s that kind of person.”

There was silence.

“Well....just....give this to Sabrina, please? I can’t very well just jump up and run away right now, can I?” he showed her his silver “bracelets” although he was sure she must have seen them by now.

Matilda nodded.

“We should finish our game, hmmm? It looks like you’re about to be kinged!”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go bad very quickly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains scenes of violence and trauma

Sabrina had returned after converting another ten spiders that morning. She was exhausted and feeling somewhat ill.

Each new spider she gave life to, she tested it. She sensed the growing awareness in there, faint but there, listening, listening to her.

Sabrina had no idea when or how she was going to put her plans into action, but she was going to wrest the Duke’s army away from him when lest expected it. A part of her gleefully imagined his face when he tried to use his army, and she just shut them down on him.

She hoped she would see his face.

Sabrina was resting on her bed when the door opened, and Matilda came in. She looked up, and seeing Sabrina, she paused.

“Oh, forgive me, Mistress, should I come back lat-”

“Matilda, if you keep calling me that in private I really will turn you into a frog. Come in.”

The old woman smiled, and slipped inside, smiling, closing the door behind her. She moved quickly over to perch on the edge of the bed, looking at her with bright eyes. Peering around the room, making sure no one was in there, she reached inside her shirt, and pulled out a small square of paper, handing it to her.

“Matilda? What’s this?”

“It’s from Julian.”

Blinking, Sabrina sat up straighter, staring at the square of paper. She started to quickly unfold it, heart beating.

“How did you get it? What’s going on?”

“I told him I’d carry messages back and forth for you two if you needed. He seemed very excited.”

Sabrina stared at Matilda for a minute, then finished unfolding the paper. It was a high quality fibre, the ink from the quill having danced over the top, sinking into the paper well. No splotches or blotches.

Julian’s crazy handwriting skittered across the page, and her eyes followed eagerly. Since they had met a little over a year ago, she’d had experience in deciphering his writing. She still managed to have trouble with every fourth or fifth word, but she was always able to guess it from the words that came before or after.

 

_My Darling,_

_Are you ok? I’m so sorry! I’m sorry things didn’t turn out as I had hoped, but I haven’t given up! Please don’t worry about me, just be careful. You are the one he’s focused on. Don’t use your magic until you’re exhausted – I’ve seen you do it before._

_I’ll make this up to you, and get you away from here! We’ll be home again, safe and sound with our friends._

_I love you._

_J_

 

Sabrina sat back, trying not to cry and laugh at the same time.

“Oh Julian, you great goof. You’re still apologizing for everything, aren’t you?”

Looking up at Matilda, she couldn’t help but grin like a fool. “You tell him he’s not to do anything until we can talk. He’s rash and he’ll run head first into something.”

Matilda smiled, “I think he’d like it more if you wrote it yourself.”

Sabrina laughed, “I don’t even think I have paper or ink here!”

“I’ll bring you some.”

Sabrina leaned forward, and grasped Matilda’s hands, “Thank you.”

“He....he seems a good boy. Man. A good man. How....how did you meet him?”

Sabrina leaned back, crossing her legs, “Oh that. That’s quite the story. But I guess you know some of it, don’t you? Apparently the Arcana gossiped.”

Matilda nodded, “Yes, but...they didn’t go into detail about you two. They don’t know that, I don’t think.”

Sabrina nodded, then paused.

“Well...someone killed the Count of Vesuvia, and Julian was blamed. I was hired by the Countess to find him and drag him back to the law. I found him, alright, but he was no hardened criminal.”

Sabrina smiled, “I think he was too busy trying to flirt with me to do much else. We talked, and....kept running into each other. He kind of saved my life....that’s how I found out about his ability to heal. We, um....”

Sabrina turned red, “Had a few adventures running from the guards, met an old friend of his, who let us stay at her place for the night. It was so....chaotic, and yet...it was fun. And I kept getting these glimpses of him. Like....the Julian under the “over the top” Julian he was wearing, like a skin.”

She leaned back against the headboard, speaking quieter, “He had no faith in himself. None. No trust in himself. He didn’t like himself, at all, and the great goof kept trying to drive me off. Fine. He didn’t want to have anything to do with me. But I’m not letting an innocent man hang. So I dragged him out of a tavern...”

She looked up at Matilda, and started laughing sheepishly, “You must think we’re a horrible bunch.”

“No, please! This is...important to me.”

Sabrina frowned faintly, but kept talking.

“Anyway, I...we got closer, and closer, and....I could see how desperately he wanted to just be himself. And be good. If you could have seen his face when he found out he _hadn’t_ killed the Count....he wasn’t a murderer....”

A silent pause for a moment.

“Anyway, over the whole thing, and dealing with the Devil, and....I just...fell in love with him. I mean, how could you not? He’s so outrageous, but it’s all a cover up for this...beautiful heart and soul he has.”

Sabrina looked at Matilda, “He is a good man. A very good man. And I won’t let anyone hurt him.”

The older woman smiled broadly at her, almost tearfully, and nodded, “Good. Your...your story and his, they match.”

Sabrina frowned, “Match? What do you mean?”

“I...I asked him how you met. Then you. Your stories are the same. Neither of you is lying.”

Sabrina shook her head, feeling confused, “Why would we lie?”

“Oh, don’t be upset!” Matilda said, fluttering her hands, “I just....I told Julian I’d ferry messages and notes for you two, because he seemed so upset. I...I’m risking myself a little for this. I just wanted to be sure you two really were.....and I...I wanted to see if you cared about him like he does about you.”

Matilda stood up, walking to the window, and looked out, “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

Sabrina watched Matilda, an uneasy feeling in her stomach. While she could understand Matilda wanting to be sure she wasn’t being tricked by herself or Julian.....it really wasn’t her place to find out if she cared for Julian as much as he cared for her. It wasn’t wrong, it just.....left Sabrina with a strange feeling. Why did Matilda care? Was it her business?

She shook her head. This wasn’t the time. They desperately needed to be able to communicate.

“We’ll survive,” she said to Matilda.

Smiling down at the letter for a moment, she looked back up, “Tell him.....tell him not to do anything without telling me first. We both have to be prepared. And tell him I love him. That....that seems to keep him calm.” She laughed.

Matilda smiled happily.

 

 

Nadia had had an interesting day. 

Meeting some of the ambassadors in the embassy revealed a lot about just what was going on. The ambassadors were clearly glad to see her, the Countess of Vesuvia, being involved. Some of the ambassadors were working to help the magicians without the express direction of their countries’ leaders, and they knew that the more leaders that would get involved, the better things would go if anything went wrong. One country standing up against Valdeer would be war. If several rose up, demanding the magicians were freed, Valdeer might be strong armed into going along.

Nadia was her usual charming self, quickly learning what countries were doing what, and how.

The majority were working in secret. It was far easier to help trying to smuggle the magicians out than publicly remove them. The less leverage Valdeer had, the better.

So far, the magicians were all hiding in various safehouses, scattered around Valdeer. The closest one, and the largest, was a short distance outside the main gates, hidden in the woods. This was the one, she discovered, where Asra was. Called the Bolthole, it was the first place magicians had run to for protection, due to the large amount of Blackstone embedded there. Their magic would be absorbed before reaching the surface, thereby keeping the Watchdogs from finding them. 

As of yet, it was still unsafe to actually try moving the magicians out. All that could be done for them, was have everything ready when the time came. This involved paying captains of ships to carry, and if need be, actually smuggle magicians out of the ports, caravans to help them escape overland. People had to be contacted, agreements made and kept with no paper trails. Food, medicines and clothing had to be smuggled out to the safehouses, enough to feed a large number of people, and yet not so big it attracted attention. Bribes had to be made, including payments of rare goods from the countries involved. Amber from one country, fine silks and spices from another...all were purchased or traded in order to pay off those who were ready to move at a moment’s notice.

It was long, hard, gruelling work. Portia was amazed just how much work had to go into such a thing. She had just assumed it would be “open the gates and run” when the time came, but there was so much busywork to do long, long before any attempt at escape.

 

 

For his part, Asra was learning about the Bolthole.

Now having rested and eaten, both he and Faust were feeling better. Faust no longer had to hide, and was content to take her usual position of being draped around Asra’s shoulders. She was also happy to be in the presence of other familiars, and Asra often caught quick snatches of conversations she was having with them.

The Bolthole was large. Just how large he was surprised to discover, when the dark skinned magician from the night before came to him, after eating.

No longer wearing the cloak, she was dressed in a pale lavender tunic and grey pants, Black boots that came to her knees caused the pants to poof out slightly around her thighs. She wore a gold chain belt, from which hung several pouches of differing heaviness. Her hair, consisting of thousands of fine braids, was pulled back in a loose ponytail. A similar gold chain encircled her throat, a red ruby in the center. Riding on her shoulder, was a brilliantly colored chameleon.

“You are feeling better?”

Asra carefully placed the bowls he had eaten from to the side, and stood, “Yes, I have, thank you. And rested. I was so tired when I got here.”

“You were Dimming. It’s not surprising.”

He frowned faintly, “I heard that word before. Dimming. What does it mean?”

“Let me show you around the Bolthole, and I’ll explain. By the way, my name is Folami.”

She turned, motioning for him to follow her. Asra stepped forward, and started to walk by her side. On his shoulder, Faust extended her head, and flicked her tongue towards the chameleon, tasting the air around it. The chameleon turned a single eye towards the snake. After a second, it turned a lovely lavender and red color.

_~Pretty!~_

Folami and Asra laughed, “I think Ife has found a friend.”

“I think Faust has too.”

Leaving the small sleeping area behind, where Asra noticed there were other small areas, all curtained off in small squares, to give privacy, they started down a hallway, hewn from the rock. It was dark in here, and lit by torches. At the end, Asra could see brighter light.

“Dimming,” Folami explained, “Is what we call it when a magician has to actively hide all magic, so the Watchdogs don’t sense us. As I’m sure you’ve discovered by now, it’s exhausting. It’s harder than just not using magic for an hour, a week.....you have to actively hide it, smother it down. It burns more energy than using it.”

Asra nodded, running his fingers through his hair, “I didn’t realize it was so hard until we encountered some guards, then entered the forest. It took all my concentration.”

Folami nodded, “It’s something we are all learning to do. Very few of us go outside the Bolthole, but some of us must, to gather supplies and pass messages.”

“Are there many down here, Folami?”

She smiled at him, leading him out of the tunnel. They entered a large, rather well lit room. Bright torches and small glowing balls of light lined the walls. There were many tables and chairs. Some of the chairs were occupied by people, all leaning over the tables, talking. Asra could see what looked like maps, drawings. People walked from table to table, sharing information. Some people carried bundles of paper with them, and paused to take notes.

In the room, familiars moved about as well. Some rode on their master’s shoulders, but many moved on their, seemingly carrying messages about. Dogs, cats, raccoon, even a skunk. Birds, varying in size from ravens to hummingbirds moved about as well, carrying things in their beaks or tied to their legs.

Asra had never seen so many magicians in one area before.

“This is the common room,” Folami said, “used for gathering, eating, and having meetings. Right now, information is being passed along. There is much to do here, to ensure everyone is safe and looked after, and all needs are met. Likewise, plans must be made for the day we can begin smuggling people out of Valdeer.”

Asra nodded, taking it all in. After a moment, he spoke, “When I came here last night, I saw a few children.....”

“There are entire families here, yes. They are the lucky ones. They all made it here together. Many were not so lucky. We have children whose parents had them smuggled here, to keep them safe. Siblings who are missing other siblings. There are a few parents who have lost their children here as well....but they are few. Most parents would not abandon their children to come here, and so allowed themselves to be caught.”

Asra fell silent.

“You do not see them here, now, because they are in school.”

He blinked, _“School?”_

Another smile, “Yes....something we are very proud of. We felt it was vital for the children to have as close to a normal life, or an even better one, if possible. Normally, only children of the elite can attend school. But here, volunteers are teaching all the children. Reading, writing and math, as well as survival, such as what things in the forest can be eaten. This is in case.....the Watchdogs should ever find us. The children will be evacuated first, with guardians. But.....their safety can’t be guaranteed, so we teach them what we can. Magic is also being taught, of course.”

“This is amazing.”

“Well....we’ve done what we can. We have children here who have never been outside the Bolthole. They were born here.”

Asra quietly nodded.

“Now. The question we have for you is this; Why did you come to Valdeer? It is not often we see a magician come into this country.”

“A good friend of mine was kidnapped in Vesuvia, and we came to free her.”

“Ah. The one in Duke Earlington’s place.”

“Yes. Only....we were found out, and now there are two friends captive there. And we had to go into hiding.”

Asra looked crestfallen, “For rescuers, we’re not doing very well.”

“It will not be a simple rescue. Earlington is a very powerful man, with a great deal of protection around his estate. Getting your friends out will take a great deal of planning, and luck.”

Asra sighed.

“However, we will help you. We have no intention of keeping the one who bound the Devil locked away as a prisoner.”

Asra blinked, “Bound....how did you know about that?”

Folami laughed, “You deal with the Arcana everyday! Do you not hear them talking?”

“Talking?”

“The Arcana were aware someone bound one of them. Some were in favour of this...others, not so much. Those magicians who deal closely with an Arcana have heard what has happened. Had you not been a part of it, you would have heard about it from the Magician. That is who you are affiliated with, is it not?”

“You mean that’s how Earlington found out about Sabrina? Through the Arcana?”

“Yes.”

Asra looked aside, frustrated. It was a very irresponsible thing to do....but then again, the Arcana weren’t exactly responsible. They were as they were, and did not deviate from their ways. If it was not in their nature to be wise, they could never become wise.

“How many know we helped Sabrina bind the Devil?”

“As I said, only those with very close ties to an Arcana. And even then, names were not given out so freely. Unfortunately, Earlington has some very powerful magicians at his disposal, and they were able to dig, and find out her name, and where she lived. After that, I imagine it was as simple as going to Vesuvia and simply asking around.”

Asra sighed.

“Svetlana has told us about the Countess. She will be giving aid to the ambassadors who are trying to ready the plans for the evacuation. You, here, will help us as well.”

Asra blinked, “Me?”

Folami regarded him coolly.

“It’s not that I don’t want to help!” he quickly explained, “I just don’t see how. I’m a stranger here. I don’t have any connections. I can’t go outside, or do anything....”

Folami smiled, “You can count. You can stack supplies. You can translate magical texts. Prepare herbs, assemble talismans, hmmm?”

Asra smiled, “Yes. I can do all that.”

“Good! Then we will put you to work.”

 

Two days passed.

Nothing much changed. Sabrina continued to work on the spiders. Julian paced and planned, and played chess with Matilda. Nadia and Portia worked with ambassadors from other countries, making contacts, writing coded letters. Asra worked in the Bolthole, helping set up supplies, dry and prepare herbs, as well as dry food to be carried during the attempted escape.

Each one grew nervous and antsy as the hours passed. It seemed nothing was really being done. Worries grew, stress grew, tension grew.

 

It was on the third day, that Julian had an unexpected visit.

He had been sitting in a chair near the window, a book in his hands, trying hard to stay interested in what he was reading. It was a work on different places around the world with ancient ruins that were being explored. No one knew who built them or where they had gone, but there were many theories and ideas.

He had been hoping to find something, anything, to take his mind off where he was. Slowly going crazy, being unable to get out and move around, unable to see Sabrina. He was always full of nervous energy, and now being unable to release it, he was experiencing cabin fever. He had even gone so far as to rearrange some of the furniture in this room, just to burn off some energy.

Finally, desperate, he moved to the bookshelves and started to go through them.

The majority of them involved business laws and practices in Valdeer, and while he might, just might, have found them interesting to read had he not been a prisoner there, right now he wanted something else. He had finally found the book he was now reading, and was trying to remember some of the more interesting places.

Both Sabrina and himself were interested in such things, and he was thinking when this was all over, a nice vacation was in order. A real one. They could find a place, go there for a week or two, spend their days wandering around the ruins, their nights in a tent, snuggled down together, looking over the day’s findings by candle light....just the two of them.

When the door opened, and Duke Earlington walked in, he was startled, not expecting to see him.

Refusing to rise, Julian laid the book down in his lap, and folded his hands atop it. He focused his attention on the Duke, who entered lazily, closing the door behind him gently.

“Ah Devorak. How are you fitting in?”

_Oh, if he wants to play that way, I can play._

“Quite well, thank you. The reading material leaves something to be desired, but I managed to located something worth my time. You really should update this once in a while. Really, imprisoning people here with decades old reading choices is rather barbaric.”

The Duke smirked, but said nothing else, as he wandered over to the book shelf. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he scanned the books there.

“Good Lord you’re right. I wasn’t aware. I’ll have that seen to right away.”

The Duke turned back, regarding Julian. Today his hair and beard were neatly combed and oiled, and he was wearing a white shirt, black waistcoat and pants, and black boots. He looked quite handsome, although his face, as always, had that arrogant cast to it.

“I suppose you’re wondering why I’m here.”

“Not really.”

Continuing on as if Julian hadn’t spoken, Earlington spoke again, “I’m having a little problem, you see, and I’m hoping you can help me with it.”

Julian’s lips curled in an amused mockery of a smile, “Do tell.”

“It’s about Sabrina.”

The smile faded from his face, and Julian grew cautious, tense.

“Er.......what do you mean, a _problem?”_

The Duke walked over to the table where Julian ate, subconsciously rearranging the tablecloth and glassware as he spoke.

“She’s unhappy, you see, and well...she’s been working so hard for me, I’d like to be able to do something _nice_ for her. A little present, say. Something to let her know I appreciate what’s she doing. But I don’t know her well enough.”

The Duke looked at Julian, “What should I do for her?”

Julian blinked, unable to process what he was hearing. Was the Duke actually saying he wanted to give Sabrina a gift for her work?

She was a _captive!_ She had no _choice!_ The Duke had literally had one of his men hold a knife to Julian’s throat in a threat if she tried anything!

His shock, his outrage, and disbelief almost choked him as he tried to speak, and he was forced to swallow, to fight to get his words out properly.

“You want to do something nice for her? _Let her go! Let us both go!_ She doesn’t want to be here! She wants to be home! You’re forcing her to use her magic against her will!”

The Duke sighed, “I can’t do that, Julian. I need her. I need her magic. Tell me what else I can do for her. How can I make things easier for her? Surely you _want_ to make things easier for her?”

Upset, Julian put aside the book, standing up. He strode to the window and raising an arm, leaned against the windowsill, looking out into the yard below. He could see the very same fountain he had stood before, a few days earlier. His whole body was tense and stiff, unhappy.

Yes he wanted to make things easier for her. Yes he wanted to ease her, soothe her, for what she was going through. But the Duke was the one doing this! He didn’t want to tell him anything, didn’t want to talk to him.

“Come now, Julian. Be an adult. I know you don’t like me, but if you cared for her at _all_ , you’d want things to be better for her, yes?”

“Don’t you _dare_ imply I don’t care about her,” Julian said lowly, “ _Don’t._ ”

Earlington half smiled, waiting.

Gaze still on the fountain outside, Julian fought. If there was something he could say or do to make any of this any easier for her, it was worth it, wasn’t it? Was giving Earlington simple things to do to help her that bad? It wasn’t like he was _betraying_ her....

Yet.....it almost felt like it.

Julian and Sabrina had met under such strange circumstances. They had fallen in love during a series of days of chaos and insanity, running here and there, chasing monsters through realms of magic and facing dark pasts. There were no dates they had gone on to learn about each other. No days or nights of sitting around talking, not really, getting to know each other, before feelings grew and developed into love. Normally, people know all about each other before the love develops.

With Julian and Sabrina, they had fallen in love, and _then_ started to learn about each other. When Julian had finally moved in with Sabrina – and that had been an interesting conversation in itself – they had started to learn about each other. Little ways they each had of doing things. Habits and mannerisms unique to each. Julian had found that being so in love with Sabrina, and then discovering the small, personal, unique things she did, was like finding little treasures all over the place.

Like how she snorted if she laughed really hard and then blushed so brightly her face looked like it would explode. Or if she was reading a magical scroll she would rub her thumb and middle finger together lightly. He had discovered, to his delight, that she sometimes talked in her sleep, sometimes in a magical language, and he never knew what she was saying, but it always sounded so amazing.

How after she worked really hard magic, she was always so hungry, her stomach would make the most intense sounds, but she never seemed to hear it herself, and she’d just keep working, unless he stepped in and made her eat something. Or how tired she would be, almost dropping where she was standing. Julian had intervened a few times there, as well, literally picking her up once and carrying her up to their bed, insisting she stop and sleep.

Or the fact she liked to have a cup of peppermint tea after supper. The first night he had preemptively made it for her, and brought it to her at the table, when she was studying a magical book, the way she had looked at him, so pleased and happy and touched, it had made him feel as if he had brought her the moon.

How sometimes he would sit across from her, a book laid out before him, elbows on table, hands folded together, forehead resting against them....but in honesty he was watching her through his fingers, watching her as she sewed a torn seam, or knit a sock, or read, or did any number of things, and he just watched how she moved, how the light reflected off her face, just learning a thousand and one tiny things about her.

The thought of letting those things be known to Earlington seemed treasonous.

But...if it would help her...

Still looking out through the window, not turning, he spoke.

“Make sure she eats. Er...after she’s done her magic, that is. She never eats enough...ah...she _picks_ , but she needs more....Make sure there’s meat. She needs the meat, it...er...gives her strength. And she absolutely needs to rest after. She’ll fall on her face if she doesn’t.”

There was silence, and the Duke spoke again.

“Yes, yes, that’s _most_ magicians. What about Sabrina, though? Her, specifically? Food she likes? Music? Clothing?”

It felt so _wrong_ , talking about her like that. To him. Julian didn’t want him to know about her. Her little likes and dislikes. They were....they were _his_. His to hold and _cherish_.

“Peppermint tea. She likes peppermint tea. Especially before bed. Warm bread. Honey.”

“Ah. That’s better. I’ll make sure the cook has that for her tonight. My thanks.”

Julian made a non-committal sound, feeling oddly drained.

The Duke studied Julian’s back in silence for a moment, then spoke, his voice annoyed.

“Oh come come, now. You didn’t give me permission to _sleep_ with her. I only want to give her a few treats so she feels a little better. Honestly, you’re disgustingly lovestruck. You do know it’s going to bite you in the ass one day, right?”

Julian stirred, turning from the window, looking back at the Duke. He looked confused, “Er....I’m sorry, what?”

“Sabrina. You don’t think she’s going to remain true to you?”

Back stiffening slightly, Julian narrowed his eyes, looking down his nose at the Duke, “You don’t know the first _thing_ about Sabrina.”

Earlington laughed, “I know enough. I know she’s a magician.”

“What ..er...what does that have anyt-”

“Julian, magicians only love one thing. Magic. Magic and the _power_ it gives them. Oh I’m sure Sabrina loves you in her _own way_. She does seem _fond_ of you. But take some advice; don’t hold her too closely. The day will come when she has to choose between you and her magic, and she’ll throw you to the side in a _heartbeat_.”

Julian drew himself up to his full height, looking at the Duke in disgust, “You don’t know anything about her, or me. You don’t know what we’ve come through. What we experienced, what we suffered. Sabrina loves me, and I love her, and I know _damn_ well she’d never throw me aside for magic.”

The Duke just studied Julian, smiling, bemused, “Yes....you think that now. But when the day comes, remember I warned you.”

He turned, and made for the door, “Thank you for the information. I’ll make sure she has her tea tonight. Good day, Julian.”

Julian said nothing as the Duke left, closing the door behind him, hearing it lock.

Furious, Julian turned, and started to pace, swearing under his breath. He dragged his fingers through his hair, tearing at it in outrage and impotent anger.

“How dare he..?! He doesn’t know anything about us! Nothing! Thinks he knows everything....he’s just bitter and angry that no one cares for him because he’s so damned horrible!”

He wanted to hit something.

Sighing, he threw himself down into a chair, glaring at the window.

They needed to get out.

 

It was that evening, that things changed.

Julian had been feeling more and more stressed with each hour. He wished desperately for a drink. Or two. Or seven. But he didn’t feel like drinking. He needed to remain alert. To be able to be ready in case something happened. And at the evening meal, it did.

One of the servants entered the room, carrying his meal. The large silver covered tray was steaming, and according to the way it was being carried, most likely contained soup or another liquidy meal. The man carrying it was being extremely careful not to let it tip or spill. They carried it into the room, concentrating heavily as they moved towards the table.

And left the door open.

Julian noticed it instantly, and without even thinking, was up and out like an arrow shot from a bow. He heard the startled yell from the servant behind him, but it made no difference. He had his chance, and he was going for it.

He needed to find Sabrina. He didn’t think she was on his floor – he never saw nor heard any servants on his floor other than the ones coming to serve him. Which meant above or below. And considering she was being held captive, it was more likely above.

He wasn’t thinking. It never came to him that she might be down in the cellar, working on the army of spiders. Or that she might be outside, in the garden. He wasn’t even thinking about how to get her outside the walls. He just knew that he had a chance to grab her, and _escape_ , and that was _all_ that was going through his mind.

Julian flew down the hall, long legs carrying him a great speed. He shot past two other servants, and they both let out a cry of alarm, not really knowing what was going on. A guard, down at the end of the hall, turned around and peered curiously, before his eyes widened, and he lunged from his post.

Julian let out a sharp curse, speeding towards the other staircase at the end of the hall. He barrelled past another guard, startled enough to drop his lunch he had been trying to secretly eat, and took the stairs two at a time.

“ _Sabrina! Where are you!?”_

At the next landing, he started trying doors, still calling out to her. He heard the guards pounding up the stairs behind him, and started getting desperate. She had to be here somewhere!

“Halt!”

“Not likely!” Julian called back, taking off again. Each door he came to had an ugly door knob, and he rushed past. He assumed these were closets and utility rooms. Most likely Sabrina was in a luxurious room, as he was.

_“Sabrina!”_

“Stop!”

Julian turned to see Apollo barrelling towards him, and he let out another curse. Apollo was far too fast, strong, and skilled for Julian to handle one on one. If only he had a sword or something. Hand to hand would end in a loss for Julian.

He turned to run, when he heard Apollo yell something, something he didn’t understand – and suddenly both his hands became ice cold. They stiffened, twisting into gnarled claws, agony starting to dance down his fingers. He hissed in pain, but kept going. It was only pain. He could handle pain. While this sort of pain....pain delivered by an enemy....was not fun at all, he could push past it. It was unimportant.

The pain grew.

A few more steps, and he faltered. Now it felt like he had two red hot coals blazing at the ends of his wrists. Bared teeth, clenched jaw, he attempted to stagger onwards, but soon the pain of his hands overwhelmed everything.

He was struck hard, tackled by Apollo to the floor, unable to do anything other than curse in pain and fury. The bald servant wrenched his arms behind him, pinning him until the guards managed to catch up. The one who had been eating, a brilliant red.

Apollo spoke the words to lessen the pain in Julian’s hands as the guards hauled him to his feet. Panting, Julian mentally cursed himself for a fool and an idiot a hundred times over.

Apollo looked at Julian, his face dark with anger, “You will regret this.”

“I usually do,” Julian weakly chuckled, then fell silent as he was dragged away.

 

Asra was exhausted.

He sat back on a pile of pillows, finishing the bowl of soup he had been given. Faust lay curled around his neck, content. She had regained her color, and seemed more like her old self. She did not wander, though, always remaining on Asra.

Asra had spent the day hauling supplies from wagons into supply rooms. It wasn’t complex work, completely physical. Take boxes from place A, and stack them neatly in place B. But he found it oddly satisfying. Not just being helpful, it allowed his mind to relax, not really think about anything. He pushed aside the worries that had been plaguing him since they had all had to separate, and just existed. While he hadn’t put his friends out of his mind, he had, for a while, just remained calm.

Now he sat, muscles overworked and a little sore, but he felt peaceful. He felt tonight he would finally get a real sleep.

Folami seemed to appear out of nowhere, and flopped down on a pillow next to him. She smiled, “You look tired.”

“I am tired.”

“You did good work today.”

Asra laughed, “I stacked boxes.”

“Stacking boxes is good work.”

He smiled.

Her smile remained for a moment, then faded slightly.

“Have you heard any rumours, Asra? Of what is going on?”

Asra fell quiet for a moment, then spoke, “You mean...about Valdeer?”

“Yes.”

Folami’s familiar slowly made it’s herky-jerky way down off her shoulder, and started to crawl over a pillow towards Asra. As he passed the red pillow, he turned a lovely shade of red.

Asra spoke, “I’ve been hearing about....something coming. Everyone is saying to get ready. Be ready. Be prepared. Or talking about time, like, “We’ll do that after”, “We can worry about that after.” Something big is coming, isn’t it?”

Folami nodded, quietly serious, “Yes. It is. You know we’re planning on evacuating the magicians here, as soon as it’s safe to do so. All the magicians, in all the safehouses.”

Asra nodded.

“Well....that’s not going to be easy. And some magicians here....they don’t want to just get out. They want to fight back. Against Puriew.”

Asra looked down at Faust, who had slithered from his shoulders, and was now nose to nose with the chameleon. He looked back up, “That’s...like...a civil war.”

Folami nodded.

Asra looked at her, worriedly, “Do....do you think it’s going to help? Do anything?”

She gave a deep shrug, “I do not know. I know that just running away is wrong. That we should fight for our freedom, and out home. Before Puriew came here, this is where we lived. Many of us were born here. Grew up here. Why should we leave?

But then I think, what sense to fight back against people who have all the power? We aren’t on equal footing here. We have few weapons. Many of us are collared and cannot use our magic. And those of us who are collared, in the city, will be used against us. They will be forced to. Can I attack those I remember playing with, as a child? Those I ran with?

And then I think....but if I do not....will I end up alongside them? Fighting others I care about?”

Asra was quiet, listening. After a moment, he spoke, “So...what will you do?”

She fell silent for a moment, then spoke, “I will fight. The question now, is.....will _you_?”

Asra blinked, rocking back slightly.

Folami raised both hands, palms out, in a calming manner, “Easy. I am not asking you to fight. You are from Vesuvia. You do not have to get involved in this any farther than helping up carry supplies. You do not have to enter the city and go to war. 

That is what I want you to know. Do not feel like you should. This is not your war.”

Asra looked down at his feet for a second, before speaking, “It is, though. Because I’m a magician too. I could have been here when Puriew started the crackdown. I could have been here. I could be collared.”

Folami was quiet.

“Even so...you do not have to fight. Using magic to attack, hurt, or...worse....is not easy for many to do. There are many magicians here who will be helping by making portals, or using magic for secondary things, like sending messages across the city, silently. Helping create fog to hide those escaping. Tricking guards into walking the wrong way. Do not panic, thinking you must engage in violence. If you wish to fight without violence, just let me know. I will find a place for you.”

Asra smiled, relieved, “Thank you.” The smile faded, “When do you....think it’s going to happen?”

“That I cannot tell you. But you will know before it begins. All must be ready.”

Asra nodded, “I’ll be ready.”

They shared a smile.

 

 

Julian knelt on the floor, arms from his wrists to his elbows bound. It pulled his arms painfully tight behind him, giving him very little wiggle room. A chain ran from the binds at his wrist to a bolt on the floor, keeping him in place. He was shirtless, wearing only his pants. 

The floor was hard and cold under his knees, making them ache. This wasn’t the well furnished room he had been in when they had fought. This room had a stone floor, cold and damp. Torches burned smokily on the walls, casting fitful light. The room smelled damp and musty. It was a room he had been in many times before, in different places. Cells. Dungeons. Catacombs.

He knelt, wondering if the Duke would show up himself to do the punishing, or have someone else do it. Most high class never bothered getting their hands dirty, only wanting to know when it had been done. They had minions to do it for them.

Julian’s adventures since making the deal with the Hanged Man had been interesting, and while he had never actually been....well...tortured....he had been punished, and had always healed. He had never really been in a situation quite like this before the deal....and now that his mark was gone...he didn’t know what was going to happen. He doubted it would be pleasant, but...he’d take that chance again, if he could.

The door opened, and the Duke walked in. He was wearing a simple brown shirt and breeches, looking like he had been enjoying a quiet day at home, not entertaining, for once. He didn’t look pleased.

He was alone. That was the first thing Julian noticed, and a faint smirk formed on his face. So, the Duke enjoyed punishing by his own hands. That just revealed that much more about the man. Haughty and cruel.

“Devorak,” Earlington’s voice was flat and unamused. He came to stand before Julian, crossing his arms, looking down at him.

“Sadly, we find ourselves here. You could have remained in your room, enjoying yourself, eating fine food, drinking fine wine. But no, you had to try and be cute. Try to grab my magician and run off. Now the servant will be let go for being so unobservant. Do you think my warnings were just so _I could hear the sound of my own voice!?”_

Julian grinned, brows arching, “What can I say? I was bored, and I’m a sucker for an adventure.”

The Duke’s face darkened, eyes narrowing, “Well, I hope that will get you through the next few hours, then.”

Remaining outwardly calm, Julian nevertheless felt a faint tremor of fear. So...he was going to torture him. What was the Duke going to do to him? He had heard terrible things from the pirates he had travelled with, and had seen some rather....unpleasant things aboard their ships. Julian had always had a very active imagination, and right now it was starting to work overtime.

He wouldn’t give the Duke the satisfaction of seeing him afraid, though.

“I don’t regret what I tried,” Julian grinned at the Duke through his hair, “But as I said, I do get bored easily, so if we’re going to get this started, well....let’s get started.”

There was a faint commotion just outside the large heavy door. Voices, and a thump. The Duke glanced towards the door, and looked back at Julian, a large, unsettling grin forming on his face.

“If you insist. Ah, here they are.”

Julian watched as the door was wrenched open. An unknown man entered, backing into the room. A second later, Apollo entered. It was apparent they were carrying something heavy between them.

A second later, and they turned, revealing Sabrina clenched in his arms, her face red with exertion as she struggled. The other man, the tall grey haired one, had her by her legs. She arched her back, writhing and twisting furiously.

“Get your hands off me!” she shrieked in fury, kicking out wildly.

Julian’s face lost color, the smile dropping, and he looked at the Duke, eyes widening, gaze flicking from the Duke to Sabrina and back, “Wh...what’s going on? Why is _she_ here?”

Sabrina looked up through her hair, still struggling slightly. Seeing Julian on the floor, bound, she stopped struggling, looking at him, eyes wide, “Julian? What’s going on, are you alright?”

Earlington smiled at his prisoner, “What’s the matter, Devorak? I thought you were eager to get this started?”

His Adam’s Apple bobbed as he swallowed, voice unsteady, shaking his head, “No, she...she doesn’t need to be here. She doesn’t have _any_ part in this. Leave her out of it. _I’m_ the one who tried to escape.”

Sabrina started to struggle again, trying to get free, _“Julian!?”_

He watched, growing paler still, as Apollo suddenly grabbed Sabrina by the hair, and slammed her forward onto the floor on her stomach. She grunted in pain, and struggled to try and get up. Apollo slammed a knee into the small of her back, pinning her. The grey haired man stood by, ready if needed. She screamed in fury.

_“Get off me you bastard!”_

“No, no, leave her alone! She didn’t do anything!” Julian looked up at the Duke, “Why is she here? This doesn’t concern her! _I’m_ the one who broke your rule!”

“Of course this concerns her, Julian. You are a couple, aren’t you? You’re together.”

“I-”

“And you have to be punished, Julian. I punish you...by visiting your crimes on her.”

 _“NO!_ NO no, no, please, no, don’t, don’t hurt her,” Julian begged, voice wavering with fear. He smiled nervously, trying to appear harmless, as if this were all a big misunderstanding between friends, _“She_ didn’t do anything wrong, please.” His gaze kept flicking from the Duke to Sabrina, cursing and struggling on the floor, screaming obscenities at her captors.

“Ahh Julian. It doesn’t _work_ that way.”

The Duke shook his head, and turned, walking over to where Sabrina was sprawled on the rocky floor. Kneeling down, he took a hold of Sabrina’s right wrist, and twisted her hand brutally. She cried out, fingers spasming outwards. Another quick flip, and now her hand was stretched out on the floor, palm slightly elevated, but fingers stretched out, unable to be curled back into the palm. Sabrina cried out again in pain, trying to twist free, but the Duke’s grip was like stone. Reaching into his shirt, the Duke pulled out a long knife, the blade serrated, the handle made of bone.

“Now then Julian!” he called out gleefully, “Which finger does she lose?”

Julian’s nervous smile fell like broken glass, his voice breaking, _“NO! No no no no no please no, oh God no, let her go, let her up, I won’t do it anymore, please-”_

“I’ve heard the pointer finger is the best to lose,” the Duke said, speaking as if they were all drinking at a bar, enjoying a good topic of conversation, “because the middle finger can take over. The worst to lose is the pinky, because then you have no grip as the ring finger is actually very weak. You’re a _doctor,_ Devorak! Which should she lose? Your choice!” Earlington laid the dagger down across the first knuckle of her hand, taking a tight hold on the blade. Sabrina, peering out through her wild hair, widened her eyes and screamed in fury and anger, and not a little fear.

 _“Please,”_ Julian begged, tears of fear now in his eyes, _“please, let her up, don’t hurt her, I won’t do anything, I swear, please!”_

“Oh it’s too late for that. You should have thought of that before you tried that stunt. Pointer, or pinky, Julian?”

_“Just let her go, please!”_

“Pointer it is.”

_“No!”_

Taking a firm grip on the blade, Earlington seemed to prepare to put pressure. The blade nicked the skin, a small line of blood welling up. Sabrina screamed.

_“STOP! PLEASE!”_

_“Wait,_ ” Earlington said, as if suddenly being struck by a thought, “What am I _doing?_ I can’t take one of her fingers! She’s a _magician!_ She might need it for...” here he made a vague wiggle-finger motion, as if a parody of trying to cast magic.

 _“Yes!’_ Julian latched onto this like a lifeline, a weak, almost insane laugh, the tears spilling over, slipping down his cheeks, “yes, she’s your magician! You can’t take a finger, she _needs_ those!” He pathetically agreed, anything to get the Duke to leave her be. He was shuddering violently, his eyes darting from Sabrina to the Duke.

Sabrina screamed curses at the Duke, still struggling wildly.

Earlington gave a huge sigh, removing the knife and standing up. He walked over to Julian, looking down at him. Gasping, trying to get himself under control, Julian shuddered, looking up at the Duke, red rimmed eyes still streaming tears, _“Just let her go,”_ he whispered, _“Please.”_

“Ah Julian,” Earlington sounded almost regretful. Apollo and the other man pulled Sabrina to a kneeling position, mirroring Julian. She was trying hard not to cry, anger and fear warring for control. Duke reached out and took a hold of Julian’s chin. He tilted Julian’s face up to look him in the eye.

“You came all this way, just for her. You _do_ love her, don’t you?” Earlington spoke gently.

 _“Yes,”_ Julian whispered, _“I do. Please. Don’t hurt her, please.”_

“You know, when I pulled that eyepatch off you, I expected to see you were actually missing an eye, not just...that. I don’t know if I was more disappointed, or worried about catching the plague. How odd, though. Only one eye was affected. I wonder if your deal with the Hanging Man affected it? Perhaps you had two red eyes?”

Julian only silently shook his head, only half listening. His heart was still pounding in his chest, and he trembled. He wanted to see Sabrina, see if she was alright, but the Duke was blocking his view, and a part of him was afraid if he did, if he looked right at her, it would draw Earlington’s attention back to her.

“You know,” Earlington said, “I’ve heard it said that when a couple spends enough time together, they even start to resemble each other. Isn’t that adorable?”

No sound, only that of Julian trying to catch his breath. He was confused, upset. What was Earlington talking ab-

“Let’s do that, shall we?”

Earlington kept his gaze on Julian, but spoke over his shoulder.

“Apollo. Take her left eye.”

Sabrina was suddenly shoved over onto her back, the tall grey hair man pinning her legs with his, and grabbing both hands. Sabrina screamed in fear, trying to buck off her attackers, as the Duke turned and walked towards Apollo, and handed him the long knife.

Julian screamed, leaning forward as far as he could, chained to the bolt in the floor, begging, pleading for them to stop, cursing and sobbing, arms twisted painfully out behind him.

“She can lose an _eye_!” the Duke exclaimed, “She can still read her magical texts with one! And you can wear matching eye patches! Won’t that be _sweet!?”_

_“Please! I’ll do anything! Oh God, please leave her alone!”_

Sabrina started to sob, feet drumming on the floor as she continued to try and buck them off. She suddenly screamed, high and terrorized.

For a second, Julian thought it had been done, that all his begging and pleading had done nothing, but suddenly the Duke spoke, _“Stop!”_

The two men leaning over Sabrina paused, leaning back, lowering the blade. On the floor, Sabrina continued to sob.

The Duke turned, and stormed over to Julian. He grabbed Julian roughly by the chin, violently jerking his head up.

 _“Now you listen to me, and you listen to every word I am saying,”_ Earlington snarled in Julian’s face, _“The next time you disobey me, I will tie you up and watch as I cut pieces off her with the smallest, dullest blade I can find. Small pieces, one at a time, and you will listen to her scream for hours before I finally grow tired, jam my blade in her throat and throw her body to the rats in the alley, do you understand me!?”_

 _“Yes!"_ Julian cried, sobbing, _“Oh God, yes, yes, I won’t try anything again, I promise! I’ll be good, I swear!”_

Across from Julian and the Duke, the two men were pulling Sabrina to her feet, still with a tight grip on her. Her face was red with exertion and fear, her eyes red from crying. She kept her face cast to the floor, unable to meet Julian’s gaze. She hadn’t wanted to cry out, to scream, but despite her best efforts she had been so afraid...her eye....her eye.

“Yes,” the Duke snarled, “You will! And here’s a little reminder for you!”

Reaching into his pocket, the Duke pulled out another knife, this one more a short dagger. Before anyone could react, Earlington plunged the tip into the pale flesh on the left side of Julian’s chest, right over the heart. When Julian stiffened and tried to jerk back, the Duke tightened his grip on the blade, and twisted.

Julian screamed in pain as the blade gouged into his flesh, instinctively trying to jerk free, but being unable to. Snarling, the Duke twisted it again, tearing another scream from his victim, blood pouring from the wound down the pale skin.

Behind the Duke a commotion.

“What are you – _Master!”_

Turning, yanking the blade out of Julian as he did, Earlington's eyes met a strange sight.

Sabrina stood there, her face almost devoid of emotion, staring straight at him. She seemed utterly unaware of the two men holding her in place.

As the Duke frowned, he saw, just for a split second, a faint orange glint in her eyes, like a tiny flash of a spark, and suddenly, everything seemed to explode in a burst of heat.

The two men holding her were knocked away, violently crashing into the walls on either side. Earlington staggered back, the blast of air, as if from a furnace, knocking him back onto his ass.

Sabrina herself was knocked backwards, and the backlash from her magic rebounded, knocking her out cold. She fell to the stone floor and did not move.

Only Julian, who had been kneeling, was spared the hit, although he felt the intense blast of hot air billow around him. He flinched instinctively when the heatwave washed over him, only looking up when the air started to cool.

The men were just picking themselves up off the floor, cursing and swearing. The one who had been helping Apollo was literally beating out a small flame on his shoulder.

Sabrina continued to lay face down on the floor, unmoving.

“Sabrina!” Julian called to her, leaning forward as far as he could, still bound, _“Sabrina!?”_

No movement. He watched, horrified, as a pool of blood slowly formed beneath her face, growing and creeping across the floor.

_“Sabrina!?”_

Apollo walked over to where she lay, and kneeling down on one knee, picked her up, turning her over. Blood was flowing freely from both nostrils, and one ear. Her face was paler than normal, her freckles standing out vividly. Her head rolled back loosely.

_“Oh God, Sabrina!”_

Earlington sounded angry and disgusted, “Take her back to her room and put her on her bed. Round up Matilda to see if anything can be done for her.”

“Yes, Master.”

Julian watched, breathing harshly, trembling, as Apollo threw her roughly over his shoulder, and exited the room with her, as if she were nothing more than a sack of potatoes.

He turned to the Duke, “Let me up! Let me go tend to her! Please! I won’t try anything, just let me take care of her! She’s hurt!”

“Yes, I’m aware of that,” Earlington snapped, “She brought it on herself. She’s been warned about using her magic to attack me.” He drew a hand across his face, looking for a moment like he was trying to get himself under control.

_“I’m a doctor, please! Just let me see to her! You can chain me on the floor or something!”_

Disgustedly, Earlington turned, striding towards the door, “I have to go change. Take Devorak back to his room. If he tries to escape, just kill him. I’ve had enough of this.”

 

Matilda was interrupted from her nightly cup of tea by a heavy pounding on her small room’s door. Hurriedly, she pulled on her shawl, and crossed the room to the door. Opening it, she looked up into the face of one of the guards.

“Yes?”

“You need to come to the new magician’s room. She’s been injured, and isn’t waking up.”

“What...what happened?”

“I don’t know. I’ve just been told to tell you she’s bleeding from her ears, and to tell you to hurry.”

“God above,” the older woman breathed, and pulling her door shut behind her, fell into step behind the guard.

 

In the dark, sitting in a small square of moonlight cast in through his bedroom window, Julian sat on the floor, back against his bed. Long legs drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped around himself, he sat hunched over, as if in pain, dark red hair falling over into his face.

_“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”_

He had seen injuries like that before. On the battlefield, when he had been a field medic. A man, kicked in the head by a horse. When blood came from the ears, it was bad. If there was a clear liquid, it was worse. The young man who had been kicked had never recovered, remaining in a coma for a week, before finally passing away. His brother had been devastated.

He sobbed helplessly.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aftermath

Asra continued to work with the other magicians within the Bolthole. When the work for the day was done, the evening meal taken, those who did not have other responsibilities gathered in the mess hall. There they talked, passing the time by telling stories, playing games, or sharing lessons in magic.

Magic came in different schools. Some could master one, or two, and be experts in some. Other magicians tended to decide not to master in any, and be average in almost all. The ones within the Bolthole who had mastered some of the schools offered lessons for others. This allowed the magicians to take their minds off what they were doing, where they were. It gave them something else to think about.

Tonight’s lesson was Growth. Growth dealt with the green things, and encouraging them to grow. Something small, like a single flower. Each magician had a tiny pot with wet earth, and a single seed, half buried. The teacher for this lesson was a young woman. Long black hair was tied up in a large bun on top of her head, and she wore long flowing clothing that rippled as she walked.

The magicians were all sitting in various places – some at tables, others on the floor. Each of them held the little pot in their hands, gazing down at the seed.

“Now this is easier when it’s a seed,” the teacher was explaining, “because all the energy is already there, waiting. If you don’t have an energy source, the plant will take from you, and you’ll just exhaust yourself.

I want each of you to concentrate on the little seed. If it helps to close your eyes, do so. Think about that little seed. Think about all the potential trapped inside. It’s longing to burst out. Feel how badly it wants to spread, to expand, to grow outward.

Reach inside the little seed, and give it permission to start to grow. Call to it. Show it the right direction to start.”

It was silent. Occasionally there were soft murmurs as this magician, and then that, noticed their little seed germinating, the small green growth starting to arc upwards, rising out of the little pot.

Asra smiled, feeling how the little lifeforce was starting to grow, bursting with so much vitality.

_~Danger!~_

Asra jerked as Faust’s voice spoke in his head, her normally content voice sounded stressed and frightened. In his hands, the little seedling shivered, and stopped growing as Asra lost his train of thought.

From her perch on his shoulder, Faust lifted her head, looking Asra in the eye, her tongue flicking out and tasting the air.

Asra lifted a hand, supporting Faust’s head. He spoke lowly, so as not to disturb the other magicians.

“What is it, Faust? What danger?”

_~Danger!~_

“Where, Faust? Where is the danger?”

_~Sabrina!~_

Tensing, Asra laid down his small flowerpot. Silent rising, he swiftly walked from the room, slipping outside into a hall. He gently pulled Faust from around his shoulders, supporting her in his arms, meeting her eyes again.

“Show me, Faust. Show me what happened.”

Faust’s gaze met and held Asra’s. 

His awareness merging with the little snake’s. Asra sensed his one time apprentice’s life force, her aura. It was tense, and frightened. There was a lot of fear, building. A need to lash out, but being unable to. Asra felt the power growing in Sabrina, fear, terror, _pain_.

Suddenly, there was _anger_. An overwhelming rage surging up like a dense red fog. Everything else was pushed away, the fear, the terror, the pain. It all made way for the anger, that seemed to burn through everything else. A deep, intense desire to lash out, to _hurt_...to _protect_.

A massive burst of magical energy, and then...

Utter silence.

Faust broke the connection with her master, and Asra lowered her, shuddering.

What had happened? Why had Sabrina lashed out like that? And how was Faust able to make contact with her, so far away?

“Faust? You can talk to Sabrina, even from here?”

_~Not talk. Feel.~_

“You still have a connection. That’s something, at least.”

Frowning, Asra felt worry start to creep into his mind. That massive explosion of magical power....with the collar on....that couldn’t be good.

And that anger....that deep sense of rage, so strong and almost... _alien_.

Turning, Asra started back towards his sleeping area, no longer interested in learning how to make flowers grow. His mind was consumed with the memory of that intense anger.....the familiarity of it.

He had hoped it had been lost when she had returned from the dead.

 

 

 

Pain.

It was the very first thing she was aware of.

She seemed to be floating in it, trapped in a deep, black ocean. She couldn’t breath, couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything except suffer the pain. She didn’t know which way was up.

A faint whimper.

“Asra?”

“Sshhh.”

Had she been trying to remember, again? Asra always told her not to, not to try and seek out her past. It always caused headaches that left her crying with pain, wishing for something that would just knock her out and let her sink into oblivion.

Slowly, she seemed to surface, rising out of the black pain, swimming up out of the void and finding herself in her body. She felt so hot, like she was on fire.

“Hot...”

She heard noises, of someone in the room with her, but couldn’t open her eyes, couldn’t move. A second later, a cold cloth was placed on her forehead and she almost groaned with relief.

Another cold cloth, gently wiping her face. She could feel the water evaporating from the heat rising from her skin, and she shuddered.

Sabrina had no idea how long she lay like that, the cold cloth on her forehead coming and going, the second cold cloth gently moving over her face, her neck and shoulders, leeching the heat from her.

She rose more and more strongly from her black prison, and eventually, felt strong enough to open her eyes.

Light pierced through her, and she cried out.

“One moment, mistress.”

Another shuffling sound, of curtains being drawn, and then the light died, the room going dim. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes again. The room still seemed bright, but it no longer caused pain.

An older woman was peering into her face, her brow wrinkled with worry. Rough hands felt her face, feeling her temperature.

“Can you hear me? Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes...” a faint squeak, like the words of a mouse. She closed her eyes again for a moment, then opened them, “I’m sorry.”

“Mistress?”

“I’m not supposed to try to remember.”

The older woman frowned, silent for a moment, before speaking gently.

“No, Mistress, you did nothing wrong.”

Sabrina looked at the ceiling, the room she was in foreign to her. She waited until her memories could catch up to her, like they always did.

“Where’s Asra?”

Another frown.

“I....I don’t know that name, Mistress, I’m sorry.”

“Asra. My master.”

Growing more worried, Mildred picked up the bowl of cold water, and moved it to another table, to get it out of the way, “I...I don’t know any Asra, Mistress.”

Sabrina frowned, slowly raising a hand and rubbing her face. How could the woman not know Asra? He must have brought her to this woman for healing, for help. She couldn’t have gotten there on her own.

She closed her eyes again, half asleep, half awake, drifting. 

As she dozed, her mind worked, and images started coming back to her. Her home. Vesuvia. The shop.

The older woman spoke, “I should go let Julian know you’re awake. He must be so worried.”

Sabrina dragged her eyes open, “Who?”

The woman looked at her, shock clear on her face.

As Sabrina looked at the other woman, a face slowly surfaced in her mind. Pale, with dark red hair, the curls loose and somewhat messy. Warm grey eyes. Sometimes a rakish eyepatch worn, sometimes not. Very expressive eyebrows. A long, aristocratic nose and jaw. Thin lips, wide mouth. The expressions on the face were as varied as the colors of the rainbow. A broad, warm smile, laughing, joy etched across his face. Concern, lines between his brows, eyes fixed on something he was reading. A nervous expression, hands moving through his hair, destroying his curls and turning them into frizz. Intense warmth, a slow, content smile, emotion and love in the eyes as he looked at her, sitting together. A brilliant flush to his pale skin as she said something to him, reaching even to the very tips of his ears, sinking down into the collar of his shirt.....another flush to his face, this one from desire and need, his eyes hooded, lips slightly parted, breathing deep and heavy, as they lay in bed, him beneath her, skin against skin, and her hands slid up the sides of his neck, behind his ears, fingers sliding into his hair....

_Oh my God. Julian. How could I have forgotten **Julian?!**_

Eyes widening, Sabrina attempted to bolt up in her bed, everything coming back to her. Where they were, what had happened.....Julian, bound and kneeling on the floor, being tortured as they forced him to watch while they threatened her....

The utter shame she felt, being used like that, used to cause him so much fear. She knew it was one of his biggest fears – it had been since they had met, that should would be hurt because of him. And to use that against him....she felt ashamed she hadn’t been able to be stronger. She had wanted to be firm, but the thought of losing a finger....and then she had broken, unable to move, as the tip of that knife came closer and closer to her eye....and she had felt the very tip touch the skin just below her eye... she had screamed....

She remember the sound of him screaming in pain, as the Duke had turned to him, had done something to him, and then...such anger....

Attempting to sit up caused everything to spin wildly, and all the color slid from the room. She greyed out, collapsing over onto her side, very nearly passing out completely.

“Mistress, you mustn’t! You’re not strong enough yet.”

“I have to...see Julian. Make sure he...he’s...”

“You must stay in bed. You were nearly dead, Mistress. Bleeding from your nose and ears. You’ve been unconscious for a full day. We didn’t think you were going to wake up. And you’ve a massive fever.”

She made a weak noise of acceptance, before managing to slump back in her bed, eyes closed, dizzy.

“Is he ok? Julian?” she croaked.

“I...I don’t know. I’ve been here since you were hurt. A full day.”

“He stabbed him. That bastard stabbed him...Julian tried to escape...he hurt me....”

She tried to say something else, but sank down into the darkness again, the room spinning as she went.

 

 

He lay on his bed, looking up at the chandelier above him. Still wearing the same clothing he had been wearing the night before, the wound in his chest open to the air, blood dried where it had run down over his chest again in small trickles.

Julian had awoken earlier that morning, coming out of sleep in an aura of confusion and thick-headedness. His neck ached, his back was in agony, legs sprawled out on the floor before him. He reached up with a hand, rubbing at the back of his neck, looking around in confusion. What was he doing on the floor? Had he slept on the floor?

The door before him opened, and a young man entered, carrying a tray of food. Julian stared at him in silent confusion for a moment, trying to piece together what had happened, when it all had come thundering back to him, eyes widening. Sabrina. Her screams...

He attempted to push himself up off the floor, hissing in pain as his back protested from being slouched over all night.

_“Wait, wait, please...”_

The servant turned, regarding him warily. He had been told to be cautious around this prisoner. He stayed near the door once the food had been placed on the table, ready to bolt if need be.

Getting to his feet, Julian staggered a few steps towards the table, reaching out and leaning against it with his hands, trying to force out the stiffness in his neck, the headache starting to surface.

Julian peered at the servant through his hair, squinting against the pain in his head and body, “Sabrina, the....the magician. The new magician....is she alright? Can you tell me she’s alright? What’s going on with her?”

“I’m sorry, sir, I don’t know anything about her. I was hired to bring you what you need, and that’s all.”

He tried to smile reassuringly at the servant – it failed, instead giving him a look of desperation, “I just...I need to know if she’s _alright_ , is all. I’m a _doctor_ , you see, and I....I want to be sure she’s being looked after....”

“As I said, I can’t tell you anything about her. I don’t know.”

Julian raised a hand and drew it down over his face as the servant turned, and left, loudly locking the door behind him.

He gazed at the food in silence for a moment, before pushing it away from him, no appetite.

She must be alright.

Surely she was alright.

....But what if she wasn’t?

He stood, and started to pace, limping slightly as his body worked out the kinks, his mind working a million thoughts a second. Sabrina was far too valuable to Earlington for him to not try to heal her. He couldn’t just let her go....not after all the work that had been done so far. Surely it would be hard for any other magician to pick up where she left off?

But why wasn’t Matilda visiting? She always came to see to him right after seeing to Sabrina. Why wouldn’t she come to him? Unless....she had been moved somewhere else? But why? Why would they remove Matilda from Sabrina’s...

He stopped pacing, going stock still in the middle of his room, his eyes on the window across the way. He suddenly felt cold, as if all sensation in his body had left, a bucket of cold water dumped over him.

They might not need Matilda seeing to Sabrina now, if....if she were....

_No._

_No, I can’t think that. I can’t. It’s only been a day Ilya. Just one day._

He started pacing again, twisting his hands together viciously. 

_Even....even if she were badly hurt, she...she wouldn’t have....have died....so quickly, not unless....unless her injuries were..._

It were as if two voices were speaking in his mind, one trying to stay calm, the other luring towards panic.

_**She had been bleeding from her nose....** _

_Nosebleeds are common. She hit her face when she fell._

_**And her ears?** _

_No, it’s....that’s..._

_**You’ve seen that before. Things....break inside the head. In the mind.** _

_It was just her magic..._

_**And what do you know of magic, Ilya?** _

He raised his hands, sliding them into his hair.

He spoke aloud as he paced, “No, no no nono no no....don’t think it, don’t. Don’t panic. Panic is pointless. You’d have heard something. He’d have come to tell you, you can be sure of _that_. Eagerly tell me she’s...she’s gone, so no...no, she’s still alive....

“I just.....I just need to wait....”

He walked to the window, looking out, hands against the crystal pane, fingers frantically tapping out a rhythmless tune, as he struggled to keep calm.

 

Now he lay on his bed, exhausted from the constant pacing. His mind was on full alert, but his body was tired. He was utterly drained, yet his mind would not shut down. He kept thinking of things that could be happening, right now. If she were dead and they didn’t consider him important enough to tell him. If she were alive but.... gone, in her mind. Maybe she had been moved to somewhere else where she could be looked after, a hospital, or....

Hearing the door open again, he wearily lifted his head, peering towards the door. When he saw who it was, he bolted upright, eyes wide.

_“Matilda!”_

She quickly closed the door behind her, “Sssh! I have to be careful, I’m supposed to be in with the Mistress-”

“How is she? Is she alright? Is she ok?” Julian rolled up off the bed, moving swiftly towards her. He grasped her carefully but firmly by the shoulders, “Is she awake? Can she open her eyes, or...can she talk?”

He waited for her to answer, pausing, confused as to why she was staring straight ahead, and not answering him, face pale. Following her gaze, he looked down, to see the wound still unbandaged on his chest.

He let her go, stepping back, “Oh...ah..sorry...It’s fine, doesn’t hurt much...”

He turned, moving towards the washing bowl, where he poured out some lukewarm water, and a cloth, and started dabbing at it, washing some of the dried blood off. Eyes on the wound, he kept talking, “Tell me what’s going on, Matilda, _please._ She...she’s _ok_ , isn’t she? Alert, and everything?”

The deafening silence caused him to look up, growing more and more alarmed. But the older woman seemed almost transfixed by the injury on his chest, only dragging her eyes away from it when he called her name.

“Mistress is not well..... Julian, I should heal that.”

Julian dropped the cloth back in the bowl, taking a step towards Matilda, “In a moment. Not well? How do you mean? Describe her to me, please.”

“She’s weak, and her memories were poor. She was asking for someone called Asra, her master. Please, I...I should heal that, it must hurt.”

“I’m used to it, it’s fine. She asked for Asra?” Julian raised a hand, gazing at the floor, finger tapping against his lips, “Her memories...they’re failing again? Besides that, is...does she seem...ok?”

Matilda looked worriedly at Julian, “She...she has a fever. She’s very ill. Very tired.” She started walking towards him, “Please, you must let me _heal_ that.”

“I’m fine, Matilda, really. I’ve been wounded many times before, I’ll dress it with....something...later. The fever, did it come on suddenly, or - “

“No, you need to have that seen to right now.” Matilda reached up, small calloused fingertips lightly touching his chest. She probed at the cool skin lightly.

Frowning, Julian backed up a step, “Really, I-”

_“No! I won’t have it! You’ll get sick again! Now sit down and let me heal you!”_ she looked up at him, anger on her small face, eyes vivid, grabbing his wrist tightly, _“Sit down right this instant!”_

Julian backed up another step, shock on his face, pulling his wrist from her small but strong hand, _“Matilda!"_

Blinking, she backed up, color draining from her face. Pale, then flushing bright red, she turned, facing the window. Her voice was hushed and mortified, “I am so sorry, sir, I.... I overstepped myself. I didn’t mean to demand anything from you. I...I’m just worried about that injury. It could become infected.”

Julian remained standing where he was, looking at her back for a few minutes, quiet. He was confused. Her emotions had turned on a coin. She had seemed transfixed on his injury, then ....

After several moments of silence passed, he spoke again, gently, softly.

“What’s his name?”

She spoke, her voice now taking on a level tone, a professional sense of no emotion, “Who, sir? I’m sorry?”

Julian spoke again, soft, “Your son.”

There was a long pause. She didn’t move, nor speak. Neither of them did, remaining like statues for the space of five heartbeats. Then, she turned, and walked towards the table and chairs. She slowly sank into the nearest chair, staring almost dully at his breakfast. Silently, Julian crossed the room, and sat beside her.

“Robert,” she said quietly, “I called him Robert.”

Julian gave her a gentle smile, “Robert. A fine name.”

“A fine name, for a fine boy,” she whispered. After a moment, she dragged her eyes away from the tray of food, and looked at Julian. A ghost of a smile drifted across her face.

“You look a lot like him.”

“Poor soul.”

“Oh no. No, he was so handsome. Tall, and slender. Pale, like you. Same mischivous smile. Only his hair was blond, and his eyes blue. Robert. My beautiful boy.”

Julian said nothing for a moment, painfully aware of her use of “was”. He flailed for a moment, trying to find something to say, and then finally, “Tell me about him?”

“Oh,” she gave a watery laugh, “What can I say? His father left when he was only 4. It was just me and him, then. Valdeer was a hard place to make a living, but doable. We didn’t need much money – we had a garden, and made do. We would make up stories to tell each other at night. As he grew, he developed a skill for magic, same as me, only his was more attuned to illusions. Even at the age of 10 he could make the most realistic creatures come to life on the walls of our little house. My specialty was healing, same as it is now.”

She smiled sadly at a silver teapot, as if able to see the past in it’s shiny depths. Julian remained quiet, letting her speak as she wished, and fall silent, as she wished.

After a moment, she spoke, her eyes still on the teapot, “He was out performing when Puriew, that _bastard_ , decided all the magicians had to go. We were all rounded up. I searched for him, I called out for him. I saw his friends, but none of them knew where he had gone. Later, I saw.....I saw his shoes, in a pile of others, and I _knew....”_

She suddenly leaned forward, burying her face in her hands, “My boy. Oh my beautiful little boy.”

Swallowing past a thick lump in his throat, Julian slid forward, and gently gathered her up in his arms, holding her as she cried. He understood now why she had taken to him so quickly, had been so eager to play chess. Perhaps, she had been pretending that Julian was someone else. His presence, his appearance, filling a hole she had been carrying for a long time, even for a very short time.

Clumsily, but gentle, he held her, gently smoothing her hair, cursing Puriew and the Duke in his mind.

 

 

Asra was finding it hard to sit still, and listen.

They were all gathered in the main eating area, where he had been learning to use his magic on a planet. Tonight there was no lesson in magic, though. And tonight, the room was filled to bursting. Torches on the walls burned brightly with no smoke, clearly magical in nature. There were a few candles on the tables as well.

There were no children. Only adults were in the room. Some sat, but the majority were standing, all the seats having been taken up. It was warm, with so many bodies pressed in together. There was a constant, faint murmuring as they all talked amongst each other, low voices. Every magician there had their familiar with them, either on them in some manner, or in the case of the larger ones, in their laps or on the floor beside them.

There were a few familiars there seemingly on their own. Birds were perched up in the rafters, instead of on people, small mammals and lizards perched anywhere they could fit or cling. In a few cases, magicians had more than one familiar on them, theirs, and others belonging to friends or family. Asra assumed these belonged to the magicians who could not attend; those looking after the children, or performing other duties. Through their familiars, they would listen.

Folami appeared out of nowhere, and slid into a chair next to Asra. He was glad to see her; she was really the only one he knew beyond sharing a few words.

“Folami, what’s going on?”

“You know as much as I do,” she spoke, brow slightly furrowed, “Everyone was told to gather in the mess hall for a meeting. I’m hearing the other sites are likewise having meetings right now.”

“You don’t know what it’s about?”

Folami gave Asra a meaningful look, “No, but I can guess.”

A few minutes later, Asra saw three people enter the room, and head towards the front, all three wearing black cloaks, hoods down. Two women, and man. The two women were both elderly, hair gone to silver, lines on their faces giving testimony to hardships. One had a long braid, the other a short bob. The man was tall, with light brown hair pulled back into a small ponytail, and a somewhat scruffy-looking beard.

“Who’s that?” Asra asked.

“That’s Johan Ableman, and the Molatir sisters, Freja and Laura.. They run the Bolthole.”

“I’ve never seen them before.”

“I’d be very surprised if you had. They’re very busy, all of them. It was the three of them that first created the Safehouses for magicians to hide in. Johan found this place years ago, and used it as a private place to study his magic. He’s very powerful. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be here. He pretty much created the entire resistance.”

“And the sisters?”

“Their specialty is communication. Through the Molatir sisters, the Bolthole can talk to the other sites without having to risk messengers moving back and forth. It’s very tiring, though, so they take turns.”

“Excuse me, please. May I have your attention?”

Asra and Folami’s attention was turned to the front of the room, where the three black cloaked people stood. Johan was standing on a chair, where everyone could see him. The two women were standing slightly behind him. Both of them had their eyes closed and heads slightly bowed, but even from the distance between them, Asra could feel the magic of their channelling.

Johan spoke again, his voice mellow, smooth and clear. He had a clear tone of authority.

All around them, the talking dimmed, then ceased.

When it was finally completely quiet, he spoke again.

“Good evening. Thank you all for coming. We have something very important to share with you. Our sister-sites are having meetings at the same time, and the sisters here are sharing my words, so they can be spoken to the others.”

A pause.

“You all know why we are here. _Why_ we’re hiding. You know what was taken from us. Some of you came to us the very night of the crackdown. Others have arrived over the ten years it has happened. Some of you have children, born here in the safehouses, who have never known anything outside this place. They have never known sunshine, or grass under their feet, or freedom.

You also know what we have been planning for. Our freedom. The freedom that was denied us and those very same children. We have been planning this for a long time. Stockpiling. Bribing people to ferry us outside the country. Finding paths and roads to travel that are not guarded. Putting aside food, money, and weapons. And learning how to use those weapons.”

Asra shifted, slightly uneasy.

Johan continued, “For years, we have been saying, “When the time comes...” “When we’re ready”...”When it happens...” Well.... _now_ we are ready. _Now_ the time has come. 

We will begin ramping up the work. Putting the final touches into place. Prepare yourselves. Soon, we will march on the city, and take it back. It won’t be easy...it will be very dangerous. But we will no longer hide like mice. This is our city. And we will take it back.”

There was a general murmur, the voices growing in strength, and then applause. It rang out loud and clear, the people in the area clearly relieved, and nervous, that finally, something could be seen in the future. No longer hurry up and wait.

Johan raised his hands, indicating a need for silence, and soon the room was quiet again.

“Now. Until or unless you are told differently, your chores and work will not change. If you are on cleaning duties, continue to do so. If you are teaching our children, you will keep teaching them. Some of you will be approached to have new chores and duties – better places to put your skills. Until then, go about your regular routine.

Now. Thank you all for coming. We have come through a great deal, and our hardships may yet increase, but we will see it through, and win in the end.”

More, louder applause. Some cheering. The people began to talk amongst themselves again, as they broke into twos and threes. Some of the unattended familiars left the room, returning to their masters.

Asra and Folami had just stood up, when two strangers approached them. They wore simple tunics, pants and boots, faded and worn, but clean and mended.

“You are Asra Alnazar?”

Asra blinked, glancing to Folami. She gave a slight shrug. Asra looked back to the two people, “I am.”

“Come with us, please. Johan wants to talk to you.”

Folami frowned, “Is everything alright?”

One of the two, a young blond woman with bright green eyes and a thick scar over her right eye, smiled, “Oh yes. He’s not in trouble, Johan just wants to talk to him.”

Folami nodded, turning to Asra, “I will see you later, then.”

Asra nodded to her, then turned, and followed the two strangers. He felt uneasy, as if he were in trouble in some manner.

They entered a smaller tunnel, leading away from the mess hall. Asra followed the others through a series of twists and turns, until he felt completely mixed up and lost. Just when he was starting to think he was being made fun of in some manner, they turned another corner, and entered a small room. There was a desk, with piles of papers on it. Standing by the desk, talking lowly, was Johan, and another man.

Looking up, seeing Asra, the other man finished his report, and turned, leaving the room. The two strangers left as well, leaving Asra alone with Johan.

Up close, Asra could see more to Johan. There were faint lines on his face, caused from stress and worry. The beard wasn’t any attempt at fashion, but rather forgetting to shave that day. His eyes were a vivid green, almost startling. Asra had no way of judging his age, but he seemed young to be running an entire resistance.

“Asra, is it?” Speaking in a more normal tone of voice, Johan’s tone was deeper and mellow.

“Yes, that’s me. I’m sorry, I’m not sure what I’m doing here....”

Johan smiled, leaning against the desk, crossing his arms. He seemed to exude a sense of competency, of being in control. Asra wasn’t surprised he had taken over so swiftly during the crack down.

“I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about your friend, the one being held by the Duke.”

Asra nodded faintly, “Sabrina Brackenridge.”

“So that is her name, then. Is it true she was the one who bound The Devil?”

Asra shifted faintly, a faint sense of unease growing in him, “Yes...with help from all of us, her friends.”

“Yes, but she is the one who did it.”

“....yes.”

He fell silent for a moment, looking at the floor, as if thinking. After a moment, he looked up again, “We’re going to try and get her out of there, of course. The thought of such a powerful magician in his hands is disturbing. How is it she was able to be caught in the first place?”

Asra ran a hand through his thick silver hair, a frown on his face, “She’s...she’s not that powerful. Her skills are just....she has power, but it’s not....available to command. Not like you or me. It’s...difficult to explain.”

Johan frowned, narrowing his eyes slightly, “Try.”

Asra turned, and paced a few steps, trying to put his thoughts into words, “She has power, yes, but she’s untrained. So a lot of it is untapped.”

“Untrained? Didn’t she have a teacher?”

“Yes, she did, but she....she lost her memories. About three years ago.”

There was a pause. Johan looked intently at Asra, “When the plague had just finished ravaging Vesuvia.”

Asra quickly steered away from that topic, “I guess around that time, yes. Anyway, she had to be retrained, right from the beginning. So even though she has power, she can’t really tap into it, so it’s not usable. Sometimes she can access it, but....”

“And yet,” Johan said, “Rumor has it she’s helping the Duke with something. Against her will, of course.”

Asra shook his head, looking away, “I don’t know anything about that. I know she’d never help anyone like him _willingly_.”

“Who was her teacher?”

Not looking back, Asra spoke, “I was.”

Silence.

“I see.”

Another pause.

“If we attempt to rescue her, and Earlington attempts to use her against us, how do you think it will go?”

Asra turned his gaze to the floor, but his eyes were wide. This was something he wasn’t comfortable with, it was quite apparent.

“Asra, you understand I’m aware she won’t be fighting us willingly. But magicians can and have been used as weapons. I need to know what we could be facing.”

Asra ran his hand through his hair again. Finally, he turned, looking up at Johan, “I can’t tell you. I honestly can’t. She’s not violent on her own, but....I don’t know what would happen. She’s never trained for battle in any sense, so she wouldn’t have anything like that to draw on, but....she did have to defend herself against The Devil.”

Johan nodded, “So our best bet, then, is to get her out as quickly as possible, before Earlington has a chance to give her any commands.”

Asra was quiet for a moment, then spoke. His voice was strained, “Yes. It...it’s _best_ if you don’t have to fight her.”

Johan fell silent for a moment, absorbing the unspoken words.

“And if we free her, will she fight for us?”

Asra flinched, looking away swiftly, “I can’t say. You’d have to ask her.”

“Well, thank you. I just needed a few questions answered. You can go back to whatever you were doing before.”

Nodding, Asra turned, and headed back out.

 

Three days passed.

 

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows into Julian’s room. It was a cool day, the sun only having come out an hour ago. The sky was a pale, washed out blue, as not strong, or feeling sickly. 

For his own part, Julian was feeling sickly too. 

It had been three days since he had tried to escape. Three days since….since Earlington had threatened to take his crimes out on Sabrina.

Three days since he had eaten anything other than a small piece of toast. Three days since he had really slept, even for him. Three days of a sort of listless existence, wanting to beg to see her, make sure she was doing ok….make sure she didn’t hate him for what he had done. Three days of being too afraid. Afraid he would raise the Count’s anger again, have him take it out on her. Afraid of what he would see if he looked into her eyes.

Anger. Accusation. Disappointment.

Matilda had returned to take care of Sabrina, promising she would come back if she was allowed. Twice she had managed to sneak him information, letting him know she was doing better, sitting up, eating, talking. He had begged her to let him know if Sabrina grew worse, so he could only assume she was either the same, or getting better. Still, he longed to see her.

Julian grieved for Matilda, as well. The woman had seemed drained when she finally healed his injury, and left. Sometimes, crying helped heal....and sometimes it didn’t. He had no idea how to help her.

He had managed to find another book, this one on the local plant life in Valdeer, and he was moving through the illustrations. emotionless, pale and quiet, when the door suddenly opened, and Earlington walked in.

Eyes widening, Julian swiftly rose to his feet, the book falling from his lap onto the floor with a thud. 

Nervously, he bent and retrieved it, closing it and holding it against his stomach with both hands, like some sort of tiny shield, as if he could hide behind it.

He watched the Duke close the door behind him, and approach, nervously watching, as a small animal warily watches a larger one, not sure if it’s going to ignore him, or attack.

“Julian,” the Duke spoke in an amicable manner. He paused, as if not quite sure where to go from there, and noticed the book in the other man’s hand, “Ah. I enjoy that one myself. It’s a bit dated now, I fear. Still, the flowers can still be found here and there.”

“Er…yes,” Julian responded, his voice quiet and wary, “It’s…er….interesting. Very different from..ah…Vesuvia.”

The Duke nodded, looking around the room. He seemed to be looking for something to focus on, to talk about. After a moment, he gave a very exasperated sigh, and looked back to Julian.

“I find myself in the unfortunate position of needing a favour from you.”

Julian stiffened slightly, instantly on high alert. What could Earlington possibly need from _him_? He was a prisoner. Anything he wanted or needed, he could just _take_ , or force from him. It wasn’t like Julian was in any position to say no.

“A…favour?”

“Yes.”

There was a pause, and then the Duke stepped past Julian, walking towards the window. He crossed his arms, looking out. His entire body was projecting unease and irritation. Julian remained where he was, not even wanting to approach him, in case he somehow set him off. Remaining where he was, Julian quietly cleared his throat, “Er….”

“I am going to be visited by a very important guest tomorrow night,” The Duke suddenly said, not turning. His voice was almost grating. It almost sounded painful for him to speak, “Someone I was not expecting. This person is very important. In fact, it’s Puriew Morgana.”

Julian remained silent. Any nerves not previously shouting warnings now were.

“Joining him will be several of his attendants. I have not been given sufficient notice to plan accordingly. I will only be able to throw together the barest of entertainment.”

Earlington turned, regarding Julian intently, “This is where you come in.”

Julian blinked, taking a slight step back, “I…er…sorry? I don’t quite follow.”

“Don’t play _coy_ with me, Devorak, I haven’t the time or patience. I did research into the both of you when I was looking for Sabrina. You have a reputation for theatrics, entertainment, storytelling. You’ve either had some fascinating adventures, or you’re an exceptional liar. Either way, it’s known in Vesuvia that you can weave a story to capture the imagination. I am…asking…you to do so tonight.”  
Julian stared wide eyed at Earlington, pale face going paler.

“I….I…”

What was he going to do? Yes, he could tell a _story_ , yes, he could entertain, and he knew he did a damn good job. But one had to be relaxed to do such a thing. At ease, surrounded by people you knew would enjoy what you were saying. And…yes…he had talked his way out of hostile situations before by weaving fancy tales and charming his captors….but it had always been _his_ life, _his_ safety, on the line.

No one else’s.

The Duke picked up on the emotions passing over Julian’s face, and he spoke, “Understand I am aware how…delicate…such an undertaking is. Even were you the most interesting man in the world, there would likely be someone out there who did not find you so. 

You are clearly afraid I will punish you and Sabrina if you fail to entertain.

I give you my word I will not. I cannot punish you if someone else does not find you amusing. That is beyond your ability. All I ask is that you try. Even poor entertainment is better than none.”

Julian remained quiet for a moment, shoulders hunched up slightly, as if trying to pull himself into a protective position, “You….I have your word? You won’t punish her if I can’t…if they don’t enjoy my stories?”

“My word. All I ask is that you _try_. You don’t need to stand on a table and scream for attention. Just…circulate around the guests, chat them up. Do what you would do at any other function.”

I wouldn’t be afraid for Sabrina’s safety at any other function, he wanted to say, but swallowed it down. What choice did he have?

“Know though,” Earlington suddenly said, “That any ideas you may be harbouring about trying to escape, should be killed now. Those attending, as well as Puriew himself, have no love for Magicians, not more than I do. They will not care about your plight, and they will let me know what you are doing.”

_“I wouldn’t-!”_

Then Earlington sweetened the pot. He smiled kindly at Julian, “If you do this for me, Devorak, if you do your best to charm my unexpected guests, I will allow you and Sabrina to have a day and night together. How about that?”

Julian went still, his heart starting to pound. He watched the other man warily, looking for the trap, the catch, “You….you _will?_ I have your word on _that_ , too?”

“You do. I’ll bring her here….or take you to her room, whichever you both prefer. She will have a day off working for me. You can walk in the garden together, if you wish, or just stay in here together. Anything you wish.

“Well? Do we have a deal?”

Julian’s body was tense like a coiled spring. Every nerve was screaming at him to say no. Not to do this. He would fail, he’d fail and despite giving his word, Earlington would hurt Sabrina. Force him to watch as he cut her or burned her, or….

But to see her again….to ask if she hated him for what he did. To have that chance to beg her _forgiveness…_

He couldn’t pass that up. He _couldn’t._

“Yes,” he heard himself say, as if from a great distance, “We have a deal.”

“Wonderful!” Earlington was all smiles, “I knew you wouldn’t let me down! I’ll have an early supper sent up, and some proper clothing for you. Bathe, dress, and then I’ll have someone fetch you.”

Julian murmured agreement as the Duke turned, and left again, clearly pleased. A part of him had wanted to ask if Sabrina would be there…but he was afraid.

Sinking back into his chair, he reopened the book, but stared at the page for a long time, not seeing anything.

He felt sick.

 

Nadia rubbed her temples. Her headaches had vanished after the fight with The Devil – everyone’s seemed to have. No longer trapped trying to recall old memories, they had put their pasts behind them and lived for the future. That didn’t mean, however, that Nadia no longer had regular, stress headaches, and right now, she was having one.

Trying to get so many people organized was something she was normally used to doing. Running a city – planning events, taking care of her people when tragedy struck – it was all part and parcel of her day to day life.

But here, now, things were so different.

Nadia was helping other ambassadors deal with people from different cities, different cultures. And trying to use her political charm and power to convince them to do things they may not want to do. Bribing merchants with promises of new trade with Vesuvia, convincing caravan drivers to take on a few new “merchants” here and there, writing passes for scholars, allowing them access to some of the rarer books in the Palace’s collection – all these and more were done in an attempt to help the magicians of Valdeer escape when the time came.

And rumour had it time was coming faster than anyone had expected.

It was while Nadia was having a quick lunch that she was approached by two ambassadors from Vesuvia’s sister-cities, that she learned there was going to be a party held in Duke Earlington’s mansion. Puriew Morgana was going to be there himself. It was, perhaps, a chance to set some things in motion. Get weapons and the like to hidden locations all over the city, once Puriew was in the mansion. The guards of the city would be far too concerned with Puriew’s safety to be concerned with what may be going on in the darker, quieter corners of the city Valdeer.

Taking her tea outside where she could sit and think, she noticed Portia leaning against a railing near the tables and chairs.

Nadia fell silent, watching the other woman.

The red headed Portia had always been terrible at hiding her emotions, and right now there was clearly pain and worry on her face. No longer wearing the twin braids, Portia’s thick red hair was it’s usual mess of curls and bounce. The shorter woman was gazing down from the second story balcony to the ground below, blue grey eyes distant with worry.

Nadia approached, and lightly touched Portia’s back with her hand. Portia gave a jump, startled, looking at Nadia with wide eyes, before realizing who she was.

“Oh, Nadia hun. Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

“I noticed,” Nadia said quietly, frowning, “Are you alright, sweet?”

Sighing, Portia moved closer to Nadia, and as the taller woman opened her arms, Portia leaned against her.

“I’m worried about Ilya and Sabrina.”

Nadia gently stroked Portia’s back with a graceful hand, “As am I. I’m certain they are ok, though. They’re both strong willed, stronger than we give them credit for.”

Portia closed her eyes, “Ilya’s an idiot at times, though.” She opened her eyes, looking up at Nadia, “Have your spies heard anything about them? Either of them? Anything at all? What about Asra? Is he ok?”

Nadia gently smiled, “They’re not spies, dear, but...no. But if either of them had been....killed...we would have heard that. So we know they’re alive. And if they’re alive, they are probably ok. As for Asra, he’s in the safest place he can be in Valdeer.”

“I hate us all being so far apart like this,” Portia sighed again. She leaned away from Nadia, and moved to sit at a table, “I worry about one of them, then get angry about worrying, then start worrying about another one.”

She looked closely at Nadia, “I hear rumors among the secretaries here, that something really big is coming down the line. I mean, I know we’ve all been saying that a while now, but they’re saying it’s soon. People are moving supplies around.”

Nadia sat opposite Portia, taking the smaller woman’s hand in hers, “Yes, that is what I’m hearing too. Whatever is coming, it’s coming fast. The best thing we can do for them, is be ready.”

Glumly, Portia nodded.

 

A fourth day came, and went.

 

All through the mansion, preparations were being made as quickly as possible. Curtains cleaned, rugs beaten, food cooking. Musicians were hurriedly brought in from far and wide. Sculptures brought in from artists.

The Duke was in a foul mood. He wasn’t happy Puriew hadn’t given him any time to really prepare, and he felt caught out. He snarled at his servants, stalking through his mansion like a wraith. Now and then he would cuff a servant for not beating a rug properly, or angrilly denouncing an entire menu worth of food, demanding better, demanding perfection.

Even the air itself seemed filled with tension.

For his part, Julian was so nervous he felt like he might fall apart. Literally. Just a jumble of limbs.

He had _never_ been good in high tension environments, and right now there was so much at stake. Even his own room was seeing a great deal of traffic as servants brought in hot bathing water, towels, colognes and soaps. Various outfits and articles of clothing were brought in and laid out for his judgement, jewelry available for his perusal.

After everyone had left, he stood looking at the clothing laid out, feeling lost and more than a little panicky. Normally he _loved_ social events, looking forward to them with relish. He loved to hobnob, rub elbows with the elite and even the servants alike, dine and chat with everyone and anyone. Once he and Sabrina had joined their lives, he enjoyed it even more, asking her advice on his clothing and appearance, taking great delight in watching her prepare for the evening. He always felt a satisfied pleasure in having her on his arm, beautiful in whatever she had chosen for the evening, the jewelry only highlighting her eyes and hair in his opinion. Just having her there....it were as though he were showing off. Not so much that she was a trophy, but rather, “Look at her, _look!_ And she chose me! _Me!”_

This was so different. He was alone, he was terrified for her, terrified he’d mess it all up and she’d be hurt, longing to see her, longing to beg her forgiveness for blindly stumbling forward and not being patient....

He chose a classic black pair of pants and white silk shirt, a hunter green vest over it, navy cravat. When in doubt, go for subdued colors.

Undressing and sinking into the hot bath water, he started going over what stories of his past adventures he thought might be interesting to the elite here.

_Shouldn’t be too difficult,_ he thought miserably, _just make sure there’s no mention of robbing anyone rich, no lords getting their comeuppance, no magicians whatsoever....piece of cake._

Panic welled up in his chest.

_I can’t do this. I can’t. What was I thinking? I’ll mess it up. I mess everything up. I can barely go a week without creating some disaster or other...._

Maybe he could fake being sick. He was a doctor, he certainly knew enough symptoms of some illnesses that would make one bedridden. Something to make him cough, easy enough to fake a fever...

But he wouldn’t see Sabrina.

How long would he have to wait to see her? How many days...weeks...God, months....would Earlington keep them apart? How would he ever know if she was getting better or....or if she had forgiven him? He had always been afraid she would be hurt just by getting involved with him, back when they had met. To think she was hurt, now...just because he had been so utterly stupid....he needed to know she forgave him.

Julian raised his hands, rubbing his face, pausing to sigh deeply.

No. He couldn’t run away. Not from this. Not from her.

He could do it.

He could.

 

A few hours later, he found himself looking at himself in the mirror. At least he had a eyepatch again. Oddly, it made him feel a little better. The slight pressure on his eyelid was almost a relaxing sensation – something to take a little comfort in. A part of him going back to the entertainer he once was.

He fussed with the cravat slightly, trying to get it to tuck under his collar properly. Sabrina always did it much better than he did. Even in that, he missed her.

He always enjoyed fussing over her, taking care of her....and when it came to dressing, he absolutely loved it when she fussed over him. Buttoning his sleeves, adjusting his cufflinks, tying his cravat or gently tugging his clothing into place. It was such a small thing, minuscule really. But it made him feel so oddly content, just standing there while she tended to him.

He tugged black gloves into place – they only came to his wrists, and were a black satin, but they covered the brand on his hand.

Julian had even looked over the samples of cologne they had sent up, but decided against them. There was none he liked, and he usually wore whatever Sabrina liked anyway.

He cast a faint smile at himself in the mirror, remembering the time he had asked her which kind she liked. They had been at a market in a neighbouring country, and had just been enjoying themselves, going from stall to stall, looking over the items. Finding a seller of perfumes and colognes, he had inspected some, then asked her which to get.

 

The market had been bustling with people, shoppers and sellers alike, a general hum as many different conversations were taking place. Julian and Sabrina had been walking hand in hand, trying little samples of different foods. When Julian’s eyes fell on a perfumery stall, he moved over, and started poking through the little vials and bottles.

“I’m getting low. Which should I get?”

“I don’t know. Have you smelled any?” Sabrina was at the second part of the stall, looking through a collection of vividly colored scarves.

The bottles were brilliantly colored glass or crystal, casting back glints of sunlight. Some bottles were carved into fantastical shapes like totems or animals. He started opening randoms ones, taking slight sniffs. The merchant would hand him ones from the back, hoping to make a sale.

“Dear, come and smell these.”

Smiling, she abandoned the scarves, and stood beside him, “Me?”

“Yes.”

“But it’s for you. Aren’t there any you like?”

He held out a bottle, “Do you like this?”

Sabrina had taken the small vial, and uncorked it. Giving it a faint scent, she gave a faint shrug, “It’s ok.”

“Oh? Hmm. Try this one.”

He had handed her another, replacing the first one. She took that one, and gave a faint smell. She instantly made a face, quickly putting the cork back in, “Oh. No.”

Julian chuckled, and went back to looking. Occasionally, he would take one, smell it, and hand it to her.

After a while, Sabrina started laughing, trying to ignore the look of the merchant, starting to grow desperate, “Just pick one you like, Julian.”

“Which do _you_ like?”

"There must be one you find nice."

"But which do _you_ like?"

“I’m not the one who’s going to be wearing it, dear. You are.”

“But you’ll be the one smelling me!”

Sabrina started to laugh in earnest. Blushing but laughing, Julian handed her another bottle, “You know what I mean.”

“Yes,” she agreed, smiling up at him, “But if that’s the case, don’t buy any. I like your own scent, Julian.”

His blush deepened, and he blinked at her, startled. Clearly at a loss for words, he just fumbled, “I...oh. Oh. You..er..you do?”

“Of course. I like how your pillow smells after you’ve been asleep. Sometimes when you get up early I slide over and sleep on your side.”

Julian reached out, taking her hand in his, looking like he might either say something incredibly romantic, or faint dead away, the flush on his face running from the tips of his ears down to vanish under his collar. His mouth tried to work, but he just couldn’t find words....

_“I...uh...I...”_

At this point, the poor merchant spoke, “Perhaps if sir will choose the ones he likes best, and milady chooses which of those she likes...?”

Sabrina laughed, “Great idea! That’s what we’ll do.”

 

Looking at himself in the mirror, his faint smile faded. He nodded to himself. The only way he was going to that back, get her back....was to do this.

So be it.

He tugged his clothing firmly into place, and walked over to stand, looking out the window, waiting to be summoned to the party below.

He was going to war.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A party, a helping hand, a wagon of hope

“Matilda? What’s going on? There are so many carriages coming to the mansion, and so many people in the courtyard.”

Sabrina was standing in her bedroom, looking out her window onto the grounds below.

Night had fallen, and there were torches and magical glowing balls of light everywhere. Brightly colored banners hung from just about every surface, gently rippling in the wind.

Everywhere she looked, there were people. They were all dressed in finery, people with beautiful hairdos and jewellery. They talked loudly and laughed, and she spotted people walking among them all, playing musical instruments. It reminded her of a much smaller version of a grand party Nadia might have.

“The Master is hosting a party, Mistress,” Matilda said, from her seat at a table, “Puriew Morgana is coming to visit. The Duke has invited many of the well to do. He’s not in a happy mood, though, as he wasn’t given enough notice that Puriew was coming.”

Sabrina looked over her shoulder at Matilda.

The older woman seemed very listless lately. She was pale, and her voice was subdued. Ever since she had been informed another servant would be taking care of Julian, she seemed withdrawn and wan. Sabrina was a little worried about her.

And about Julian.

She had no way of knowing what was going on with him. Matilda had only been able to tell her he was well save for the one injury he had sustained, and was out of his mind with worry over her. Sabrina had told her to let Julian know she was ok, that she didn’t blame him, wasn’t angry – but then Matilda was no longer allowed to visit him. Any possible messages to be passed between them was halted.

Sabrina looked back out the window. She was glad Earlington wasn’t trying to show her off as his new magician, at least. In fact, since both her and Julian had been attacked, Earlington had left her alone, showing no interest in putting her back to work. That was worrisome, too.

She stood in a pale yellow nightgown made of light silk for the warm room, a sweetheart neckline trimmed with white lace, and the same color slippers. Her hair was unbound, no jewellery. She was dressed for comfort, for lounging around in her room, and nothing else.

Sabrina turned back to Matilda, and smiled gently, “Were you able to find that deck of cards you were talking about? “

“Sorry, Mistress. I didn’t have time to get them.”

“Oh, that’s ok.” Sabrina walked over and sat on her bed, pulling her legs up, tucking her feet underneath, “Matilda....you don’t look like you’re feeling very well. Would you like to lie down?”

The older woman’s eyes widened slightly, “Oh, no. No, I _couldn’t_.”

“Of course you could. I don’t mind. I can read while you rest. Or....if you’d rather....you can go back to your room for the night.”

“I...”

“I have water here, and wine. There’s still fruit if I’m hungry. There’s nothing for me to do tonight anyway, so I’ll probably just lay in bed and read or something. You don’t have to stay if you don’t feel well.”

Matilda looked torn.

Sabrina smiled, “Go on. I’ll be _fine_.”

“You won’t....try anything, will you?”

Sabrina blinked.

Matilda leaned forward, speaking softly, “I know how badly you want to leave. Promise me you won’t try to escape or go downstairs and cause trouble. Please. You’ll only get hurt, and....he’ll be so upset.”

Sabrina leaned back against her headboard. She was aware of who “he” was. She wasn’t sure why Matilda seemed so concerned about Julian, but it was appreciated. When she spoke, her voice was gentle.

“I promise, Matilda. I’m still having little headaches from whatever happened the other day....I won’t risk anything....and I won’t risk him. I give you my word, I won’t try anything. I’ll stay here and read a bit, and then sleep.”

Matilda studied her in silence for a moment, then nodded, and stood, “I trust you.”

As she walked towards the door, she spoke over her shoulder, “Pull the bell cord if there’s anything you do need, Sabrina.”

“I will.”

She watched as Matilda slipped from the room, quietly shutting the door behind her, before she rolled over and stretched out on the bed. Laying on her back, she listened to the music wafting up from the floors below. She closed her eyes.

 

Julian felt like he was in a strange dream, and couldn’t wake up.

He had been taken down to the party a short while ago. One of the servants had brought him down, pointing out the individuals Earlington would most want him to interact with. However, he wasn’t to approach them directly – he was still under the guise of being a new doctor for Valdeer and as such, really wasn’t in the same social circles as some of the elite that were attending the party. If they approached him, he was free to be as charming as possible.

Now on his own, he found himself more trying to just keep to the shadows as much as possible, and observe. He really didn’t want to rub elbows or hobnob. He just wanted to stay hidden, interact as little as possible, and get through the night without causing a catastrophe.

From what he could see, there were at least several high ranking individuals there. They all seemed more than pleased to be there, and from what he could see, a great majority of them seemed to be spending most of their time trying to see who else was invited. Most likely attempting to judge their worth depending on who else was on the guest list.

He hadn’t seen Puriew yet – at least he assumed he hadn’t. As the ruler of the entire country and city, Julian could only imagine he would be attended by a great many people, quite possibly at least one body guard. But he had no idea what the man even looked like.

Julian’s attention was also taken up with scanning the windows. He still wasn’t sure of the layout of the mansion, and didn’t know which window might be Sabrina’s. He had hoped that the sounds of the party would draw her attention out – but it was entirely possible her room was on the other side of the building.

At one point, while moving around the grounds, a glass of wine in his hands, Julian found himself cornered by a trio of senior politicians, and was forced to take center stage after all. Luckily for him, they seemed fascinated by his more bland stories of sailing while being a captive on a pirate ship, and he didn’t really have to concentrate all that much. That particular story was second nature to him.

“Say, you’re the new doctor that’s setting up here, aren’t you? Solomon, I believe?”

“Ah..er...yes. Solomon Hartfield. A pleasure.”

One of the women, her greying hair up in a bun with a spray of flowers encircling it, smiled.

“Ah, no, the pleasure is all ours, Doctor Hartfield. Valdeer is in desperate need of doctors. We have so very few clinics now. Where have you been practicing?”

“Oh, you know, here and there. I suppose I haven’t really found a place I’d want to put down permanent roots. Until now, that is.” He smiled charmingly.

“Well travelled as well!” another woman beamed, “Oh, I think you’ll fit in quite well, Doctor. Once you’re all settled in, Harold and I will simply have to have you over for supper, won’t we dear?”

The reed thin man standing beside her, a monstrous moustache filling his face, laughed delightedly, “Yes, we simply shall.”

“Our children will be so delighted to make your acquaintance,” the woman spoke again, “Our daughter has just returned from college, you know, taking clerical training, and her brother has been taking painting lessons. He has great talent! I’m sure you’ll have many things in common to talk about! They’re both very charming, and lovely! I’m sure you’ll hit it off!”

Julian gave a polite if pained smile, “Er...quite.” He took a sip of his wine, looking about the garden in an attempt to find some way to escape what could be a matchmaking mother – a risk of being a doctor - when he husband spoke again.

“You said you spent time on a pirate ship? Were you in the Camrotta area?”

Julian looked back at him, “Er...Camrotta? I..ah...yes, I was, actually.”

“I don’t suppose you happened to meet an old sailor down there by the name of Skivis? Captain Skivis? Owned the-”

“Blue Shrew!” Julian blinked, smiling.

“That’s the one!” the other man beamed, “He retired not that long ago, you know. Apparently, the old dog had amassed enough gold to buy an island just off the coast of Balbock. Still there, as far as I know.”

“Really? Old Skivis? I never thought _he’d_ give up the sea.”

The man’s wife interjected again, “You know, my daughter, Penelope, just adores the sea. Says the sound of the ocean calms her. She’s been sailing a few times with her friends – absolutely adores it. I really should introduce the two of you!”

“Ah.. _eh heh_ – Oh! Is that...sorry, I’m being called away, do excuse me....” Julian swayed slightly to clear the small gathering of people, and made a beeline for the nearest door.

Slipping inside, he laid his wine glass down on a table, wiping his hands. If this was how the night was going to go, he was going to need all his wits about him. He could feel the woman’s eyes fixated on him through the wall. It wasn’t the first time a parent, upon learning he was a doctor, decided to try and set him up with one of her children, and it never became any less awkward.

Deciding to remain out of sight for a little while, he stayed within the building, and made his way from the small room he had ducked into, back around to the main room at the bottom of the stairs. He cast an almost longing glance up the stairs, wishing he could just go and peek in at her, before a commotion in the room caused him to back up, ducking behind a large potted plant.

Peering out through the foliage of the plant, Julian watched as a large group of people seemed to pour into the room from the main doors. They were all dressed in finery, the ladies wearing what could almost be called ballgowns, their hair up in glorious styles with gems and pearls. Jewellery glittered from ears, wrists and necks.

They spoke loudly, laughing, their accents fine and haughty, and within a few moments, an elderly man appeared. He was walking with the use of a cane, his other arm interlinked with a younger man’s. The way the younger man guided the older, it was apparent he was some sort of personal attendant and body guard. The older man was almost bald, his remaining hair thin and wispy. His face was a wreath of wrinkles, and his head had a slight bob to it. Julian put the man’s age at mid 80’s at least, possibly older. He had a slight tremor, and was hunched over his cane.

“Welcome!”

Julian ducked back, flattening himself against the wall, keeping as hidden behind the plant as possible when Duke Earlington’s voice rang through the foyer. All heads turned towards the staircase, and within a few minutes, the Duke appeared. He was smiling, dressed in silks and velvets, looking smooth and suave.

“Welcome to my humble home, Puriew.”

Julian blinked, leaning out as far as he dared to get a better look at the elderly man.

_That’s Puriew Morgana? He’s a fossil!_

“Colin! Why haven’t you invited me here before now?” Puriew demanded, in a reedy, whining voice, “You said you’d invite me as soon as you were all set up! It’s been ages! You haven’t come by to see me, and we still have a lot to discuss!”

“Ah, yes, I know, my friend, and I apologize. I’ve been so busy getting things ready here, running my estate and businesses. Still, that’s no excuse to ignore an old friend. But you’re here now. Let’s go and find a place to sit, have a talk, hmm?”

Earlington motioned for Puriew and his manservant to accompany him through the side door and to the very same table and chairs he and Julian had sat at days before. Still complaining in his thin voice, Puriew allowed himself to be led out the side door.

The others that had been in attendance slowly drifted away to find their own entertainment, either in food, drink, or other people. Julian remained where he was for a few more minutes, trying to make sense of what he had seen.

_If Valdeer was overtaken only ten years ago, Puriew was 75 at the youngest. That’s a bit old to be conquering foreign countries, even if you were commanding and not waving around a sword._

Just how much did Puriew have to do with the actual take over of Valdeer, and was he still running it?

_Ferdinand said Earlington was the second most powerful man in Valdeer, and wanted to be the first. Was that was it was all about? Was he going to try and take Valdeer away from Puriew? God knows, it shouldn’t be too hard._

He slid out from his hiding place, tugging his clothing into place, and started walking out of the room. He would have loved to eavesdrop on what Puriew and Earlington were talking about, but it was far too risky.

But people loved to talk.

Locating a long table with food laid out, and a number of guests serving themselves, Julian slipping in amongst them, pretending to look over the offered food.

Spotting what appeared to be two ladies that had accompanied Puriew, Julian sauntered up alongside them, and politely asked one of them for a napkin. When she turned with a smile, handing him one, he spoke.

“Ah – I believe I saw you earlier. You’re in attendance with Puriew Morgana, aren’t you?”

“That’s right, we are,” she said. Her blond hair was twisted into a long waist length braid, which was then wrapped around her head crown like. She positively dripped with diamonds. Her friend was brunette, her hair short and cut in a new fashion.

Delicately taking the napkin from her hand, Julian cast both her and her female friend a charming smile, “I must confess, it’s my first time seeing him. I’m new to Valdeer, you see, and I’m feeling a little overwhelmed by all the glamour.”

The two women giggled, casting meaningful looks at each other, “Oh I’m certain you’ll get used to it in time. You wouldn’t be here if Earlington didn’t think you were quality material. I didn’t catch your name...?”

“Ah. Solomon Harfield, at your service, ladies.”

He gave a masterful bow, pulling another round of flirtatious giggles from the women.

“Well Mr. Hartfield, perhaps you’d like to join my friend and myself? We’re hoping to find some music. We love do dance. Do you dance?”

“Every chance I get,” Julian smiled, “if you’ll forgive me, though....I’m actually surprised Puriew came here tonight, considering his...ah...fortitude.”

The ladies’s faces changed, and he feared he had gone too far.

“Fortitude?”

“Er...I’m a doctor, you see, and he seemed, well....a little bit frail, is all. Does he travel often?”

The ladies seemed somewhat insulted, and replied coolly, “Puriew Morgana is the absolute picture of health. Rumours of his failing health and memory are just that – rumours, and a doctor such as yourself shouldn’t be falling for such hubris.”

Julian managed to look abashed, “Ah...my apologies. I was simply a little concerned about him, is all. He’s done great things for Valdeer.”

The blond woman sniffed in reply, but her brunette friend seemed more than willing to forgive and forget, “Ah, it’s perfectly fine! Everyone loves Puriew! Please, won’t you join us? I know there must be some music around here, and I am positively in a dancing mood!”

“Ah...I fear I have some people to speak to once I locate them – but keep an eye out for me, and save me a dance, hmm?”

The brunette giggled again, and when he turned to make his exit, she was whispering something about his “dashing eyepatch.”

Looking for a quiet place to stop and think, Julian went over what he had just learned. Apparently, there were rumours going around about Puriew’s health and memory – not surprising, considering his age. But it wasn’t looked on well by those in his circles. And no wonder. He had taken Valdeer by force. Anyone who had aided him or benefited from it must be feeling uneasy if it seemed possible it would all be taken away. If Puriew had no heirs, who would take over if and when he passed? That, it seemed, was becoming more and more apparent.

Was the Duke having Sabrina create the army of spiders in order to deliver a coup against Puriew? If that was the case, he had no intention on letting her go until they army was complete....and if it failed...what would happen to Sabrina?

His stomach rolled faintly.

He moved through the crowd, making his way towards the areas where the people were avoiding. In the distance, he heard music starting up – lutes and pipes, the sweet sound drifting out over the evening air.

He continued to stay to the shadows, growing less and less willing to talk to others, to chat them up. He had agreed to entertain Earlington’s guests, yes, but....would he even be able to do a proper job?

As Julian moved through the party, he occasionally found himself talking to the guests, slipping into tales of his adventures as he had travelled...but he had to real heart for it. And it was just as well, for the majority of the guests were far more interested in dancing and drinking than talking. It was clearly winding up to be a more wild party – one that normally he might have fun at – but without Sabrina with him, it wasn’t the same.

Within three hours, he had been asked to tell some of his pirate stories, insulted, commended, praised, cheered, ignored, propositioned, and in one instance, groped by an elderly gentleman who was looking for more than a story.

Finding a quiet place to stop and try to de-stress, he rubbed his face, taking a deep breath. He had no idea how much longer the party was going to go on – at this rate an orgy was going to break out around midnight.

He pushed himself off from the wall he had been leaning again, preparing to try and make his rounds again.

 

“Ah, Solomon, _there_ you are!”

Blinking, Julian turned, confused as to who was calling him....

...and found himself looking at Ferdinand.

The Redthroat was dressed in black finery, from black leather boots to a black silk cravat at his throat. Instead of a red scarf tied around his wrist, there was a small red bracelet. It was almost invisible, unless you knew what to look for.

Unable to say anything, literally stunned silent by the other’s sudden arrival, Julian stood there, almost gaping like a fish.

Ferdinand walked straight up to Julian, smiling broadly, arms open, as if greeting an old friend.

“I’ve been looking _everywhere_ for you! Come, we have much to catch up on!”

Still beaming, Ferdinand put a hand on Julian’s shoulder, and started pushing him lightly, steering him towards an open door. Music and light poured in from outside, laughter and revelry.

Once outside in the cool night air, Ferdinand spoke lowly to Julian, still steering him through the crowd, a wide smile still plastered on his face.

“Just relax and keep walking. We’re getting you out of here tonight. Things are moving faster than we expected. Don’t worry, we have everything set up.”

Eyes wide, Julian was marched along, like a marionette, almost numb with confusion. Ferdinand’s sudden appearance almost made Julian’s mind take a quick recess. It wouldn’t have been more unexpected or confusing if Mazelinka herself had suddenly shown up with her crew.

There was a sudden peal of high pitched laughter, and it seemed to break the spell. Julian managed to get his wits about himself, and he stopped, planting his feet. Swinging around to face Ferdinand, he blurted, “No, I _can’t!”_

Cursing under his breath, Ferdinand grasped Julian by the front of his silk shirt, manhandling him around a corner of the building, into a shadowy gap, Julian staggering to try and keep up. Once there, he started pushing Julian along the darkened path, “It’s all been arranged, we have the wagon, and a way out! Stop dawdling!”

Julian set both his feet, coming to a complete halt, “ _Stop pushing me!_ ”

“Quiet! What do you mean, you can’t? We have everything set up to get you out of here! The Redthroats have made a raid here just to get you out!”

Julian looked around frantically, as if searching for someone, “No, you, you don’t understand! I can’t leave! Not without Sabrina!”

“Listen to me, man! You first, _then_ her! Once you’re in the clear and safe, we make a second raid for her! We’ve almost got the escape route figured out, but with you gone, he’ll have no leverage over her! You know he’s using you as a means to keep her in line!” He grabbed the front of Julian’s shirt again, obviously prepared to literally drag him to safety.

“You don’t understand, damnit!” Julian grasped Ferdinand’s hands, tearing them from his shirt. One of the buttons let go with a ripping sound. Angrilly, desperate and frightened, Julian grabbed Ferdinand by the shoulders.

“If I escape he’ll hurt her again! The man’s utterly insane! I already tried to break out once, and he almost took her eye! _No! I won’t do it!_ ”

A look of disgust passed over Ferdinand’s swarthy face as he listened. “That slimy _bastard_. I should have known.”

Breathing hard, Julian forced himself to lower his hands from Ferdinand’s shoulders, and he tried to tug his clothing into some semblance of repair. Ferdinand watched him for a second, then spoke.

“Sabrina’s too important to him for him to actually injure her, lad. He was bluffing.”

Shaking his head, Julian shuddered, “No. No, you...you didn’t see his face. I don’t believe he was bluffing. Besides he...he said she could still do magic with...with one eye....no.” He violently shook his head, hair whipping about his face, “No, I won’t risk her. I’m staying.”

“If you don’t come with us now we might not be able to get you out later! Things are going south, Julian. There’s going to be a civil war.”

Desperately, he searched Ferdinand’s face, then shook his head, “All the more reason to stay, then. I won’t abandon her.”

“There’s nothing you can do for her!”

“ _I’m not leaving!_ ”

Ferdinand let loose a long string of what Julian could only assume were curses. He stood there, glowering at the tall doctor in silence for a moment. After a few more seconds passed, he grunted.

“Right. Come with me then. And trust me, I’ll not make you leave against your will.”

Ferdinand turned on his heel, and disappeared into the shadows of the building.

Alone, Julian looked after him in silence for a moment. There was another sudden burst of laughter from behind him, and with a worried look over his shoulder, he turned, and hurried after Ferdinand.

Coming out of the small alleyway between the two buildings, Julian saw Ferdinand approach three people sitting on a wagon, two horses hitched. In the wagon were several barrels of wine. Ferdinand spoke to the two men and woman sitting in the cart, all of them wearing hooded cloaks.

They cast looks towards Julian as Ferdinand kept talking. While he couldn’t hear what was being said, he could hear the conversation was growing heated. After a moment, the woman hissed something, then jumped from the wagon, moving swiftly back towards the party. One of the men also hopped down, and disappeared around a corner.

Ferdinand walked towards Julian.

“Right. Change of plan. Come with me.”

“Er....”

“ _Now._ ”

Blinking, Julian hurried to catch up to Ferdinand, who was striding swiftly forward. The other man who had been on the wagon had also gotten down, and had caught up to them. 

“We don’t have much time for this, Ferdinand.”

“Yes, well, plans change all the time, don’t they Jacob?” Ferdinand snapped, “Just do as you’re told and you’ll be fine.”

Julian spoke, “I don’t..er...what are we-”

“ _Sssh_!”

Julian blinked.

He was suddenly grabbed by Ferdinand, and was turned, then hustled off the path they had been walking. Pushing through some trees, Julian suddenly found himself in a corner of the estate, where two of the outside brick walls intersected. It was grassy underfoot, and had an old earthy smell.

“What are we-”

“There. Have you seen anything like that before, lad?”

Julian looked where Ferdinand was pointing, squinting lightly in the low light. 

At first he couldn’t make out anything other than shadow. But after a moment or two, he realized there was a strange shiny quality to the shadows there. After another moment, he could just make it out; a tall hunk of what looked like black glass. It sat back in the corner like a piece of forgotten history, menacing and ugly.

“That...what’s...”

“Blackstone. Heard of it?”

Julian blinked, “ _That’s_ Blackstone?”

“One of four pieces, aye. There’s one in each corner of this devil’s den. It’s what’s blocking the magicians from leaving. Puts up a sort of...fence around the area. Anyone with a collar can’t cross it without express permission of the master, otherwise, they black out from pain.”

Julian stared at the Blackstone, until Ferdinand spoke again, “So how do we destroy it?”

Blinking, Julian gawped at Ferdinand, “Er...I’m sorry, _what?_ ”

“You want to get Sabrina out? Unless Ferdinand changes his mind over night and becomes a kind hearted do-gooder, the _only_ way that’s going to happen is for _that_ thing to go bye bye. How do we do it?”

“I...I don’t know! I don’t know anything about magic!”

The other man, Jacob, spoke, “This thing can’t be destroyed by magic. It’s utterly impervious. It either absorbs it, or reflects it. So it has to be done with non magical means. You’re a man of science. Think of something.”

Feeling panicked, Julian stepped forward, and sliding off his gloves, hesitantly reached out and touched the stone.

He had been expecting heat, cold, pain...vibration, anything. But there was nothing. It just felt like crystal, slightly chilled from the cool night air. It was faceted, like a gem, reflecting back his own image dully.

“Has anyone...er....tried just smashing it?”

“Yes. It feels like crystal, but it must be made of something else. You can hit it with a sledgehammer, nothing.”

Silently, Julian ran both his hands over the Blackstone, long fingers feeling for any cracks, pits, anything that might be useful.

There was nothing.

Think, he snapped at himself, You can get her out of here if you can break this. Think! How do you break a rock, or a crystal? It can’t be hit, so how do you...

A memory slammed into him. Long ago. As a child, when he, Pasha, and Mazelinka had been camping out one night. Mazelinka had been teaching them how to make a fire, digging a hole in the ground so the light wouldn’t attract anyone. She had been teaching them survival skills should they ever need it....and part of that had been how to find shelter.

“Caves are good shelter,” Mazelinka had said, as she fed sticks into the fire, “But be careful. It’s not just you that thinks a cave would be good shelter. Bears, large cats, coyotes or wolves, they can all use caves too. So the first thing you do is look for signs of animals. And in a cave, you need to be very careful with your fire.”

Julian leaned back, looking at the hooded man, “Are you a magician by any chance?”

The hooded man nodded.

Julian smiled, “Perfect. How are you with temperatures?”

 

The three of them were back a ways from the stone, hiding behind a small group of trees. They were peering through the branches at the Blackstone. Even from where they were crouched, Julian could see the heatwaves rising from the black stone, making the lights of the city overhead dance and ripple.

“Do we really have to be _this_ far back?” the magician complained.

“If this works the way I think it will, yes,” Julian replied.

“And how much longer-?”

“A few more minutes. You’re doing perfectly. We need to make that stone positively glow with heat.”

There was a bucket lying on the ground next to the Blackstone. Water had been gathered from the fountain, and it sat in readiness.

A few more minutes, and Julian thought he could just make out a faint glow to the Blackstone, as it had absorbed as much heat as the magician could force into it.

“Now, the water! As cold as you can!”

Shifting gears, the magician suddenly frowned in concentration. By the stone, the water bucket rose a few inches off the ground, wobbling faintly. A small bit of water splashed out onto the ground.

Julian winced, “ _Steady_!”

“Why don’t _you_ try this!?”

“Just hit it!”

Grunting with exertion, the magician cast. The bucket of icy water tilted, and the water splashed out, striking the Blackstone.

It happened faster than anyone thought.

One second the massive Blackstone was there, the next, it had shattered with an earpopping _crack!_ They heard strange popping sounds around them, and Julian was just about to call out to duck, when a flying piece of the crystal, razor sharp, flashed past him, opening up a fine cut along his cheek. He grunted in pain, slapping a hand to his face, just as Ferdinand hissed for them all to hit the dirt.

Back at the mansion, the music suddenly stopped, as every magician in the place, every Watchdog, felt the wards fail.

“Back to the wagon, quickly! All hell is about to break loose!”

Ferdinand pulled Julian and the other man up, and they started back, just as an explosion rocked the far side of the mansion, and screams went up.

“What’s _that_!?” Julian gasped.

Ferdinand grinned savagely, “The diversion.”

They ran back the way they had come, rounding corners and ducking under overhangs. Another explosion rocked the far side of the estate.

“What’s exploding!?” Julian asked, as they came into sight of the wagon. Already, he could see several people starting to climb into the back, being helped by two other people, all wearing the same hooded cloaks. The others were dumping out the barrels of wine, making room.

“Whatever’s handy!” Ferdinand laughed, “Lucky for you, lad, I always carry explosives with me!”

Running up to stand beside the wagon, Julian could now see it was filling up with slaves – the magicians from Earlington’s estate. They all wore collars of one kind or another. They looked frightened, utterly terrified....but adamant. This was a chance at freedom, and they were taking it. One man sat at the front, a small boy on his lap, and Julian recognized the youth who had carried Sabrina’s message to him by the fountain. Against the far wall of the estate, gold light sprang up – fire. There was yelling in the distance now, orders being called out. Julian could hear the sounds of running feet – the guards, trying to get control. As Ferdinand had said, chaos had come to Earlington’s estate.

He was about to say something to the boy, who looked terrified, something to perhaps calm him down, reassure him, when he was completely sidetracked.

“ _Julian!_ ”

Spinning around in shock, his gaze narrowed down to two figures running towards the wagon. Behind them, another explosion shook the estate, a large fireball rolling up into the sky. The two figures stumbled a second, but kept coming. 

The hooded woman.

And Sabrina.

She was running in slippers, a thin yellow silk nightgown all that stood between her and the cool night air, her long curly hair swaying as she ran. Her eyes were locked on him as she called out to him again.

Almost unable to speak, Julian took two steps forward, arms out, and then she was there, throwing herself at him hard enough to stagger him back a step, bringing up in the wagon, wrapping her arms around him . He wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her upwards so she was nearly on tiptoes.

“Are we getting out!?” Sabrina asked, her frantic voice in his ear, the sound of more yelling and confusion in the estate, “What’s going on? This woman says we’re leaving, but I can’t! The barrier! You have to go, though, Julian, you have-”

But he was talking over her, not even hearing what she was saying, clinging tightly to her. His voice was shaking,“-give me, please, I _never_ meant for you to be hurt, God, please, I’m so _sorry_ , if I had thought for a moment, a _second_ , please, forgive me-”

“Sssh, hey, _shhh_.” Sabrina leaned back, taking his face in her hands, “Stop. Stop. You’re not at fault for what that insane maniac did. Drop that right now.”

“But I-”

“No. Enough. You can beg my forgiveness later, and I’ll tell you you’re being a goose later, right now we need to get going.” She suddenly stopped, her eyes focusing on something on his face. She moved a hand, fingertips touching his cheek, “You’re hurt! Julian, you’re bleeding!”

“It’s nothing, I can’t even feel it....Sabrina...Oh _Sabrina_ , I...”

Julian seemed to realize where they were, coming back to the now, and he swallowed, pulling himself together, “We...we have to go.”

“I _can’t_!”

“We’ve taken out the barrier, can’t you feel it?”

She paused, looking at him, and he saw her eyes widen, “It’s gone. _It’s gone!_ ”

Ferdinand let out a bellow, “Get your ladylove up onto the wagon, lad, we have to get going! Earlington’s going to be shutting this down soon enough, we have to be going!”

“Where to?” Julian asked, leading Sabrina towards the back of the wagon.

“A safehouse just outside the city. The one where your friend is.”

“What about the magicians that don’t get out?” Sabrina asked, pausing.

“Earlington will crack down on them, harder. Not much we can do about it right now. But with the magical fence gone, I imagine no magician will be leaving the estate any time soon.”

Julian was pulling her towards the wagon, when he stopped. Still holding her hand, he turned, looking back towards the mansion. Sabrina looked up at him, at his face, as his grey eye scanned the back of the building. Searching. The glow from the distant fires cast a pale golden light on his face, the play of shadow and light dancing. There was worry on his face, she saw, and a faint grief.

She swallowed, frightened. But she knew him.

Sabrina squeezed his hand, “Julian.” There was no reply, and she spoke louder, firmer, _“Ilya.”_

He dragged his eyes from the mansion, looking down at her.

Sabrina nodded, “She’s on the second floor. Her door has the carving of a robin on it.” She squeezed his hand again, “ _Please be quick._ ”

Julian blinked, then emotion filled his face. He nodded, raising his hands to cup her face, leaning down to her and kissing her quickly.

Sabrina laid a hand on his back of his head, gently, and looked up into his face, “If you don’t come back, Julian, I’ll pull this place apart brick by brick. So be _careful_.”

Grinning at her, he turned, and fled back towards the mansion.

“Wha-! What’s that idiot doing!? We don’t have time for this, Devorak!”

“Give him ten minutes!” Sabrina yelled, standing by the wagon, watching as his tall form darted around a group of confused guards, and disappeared into the building.

“We don’t have ten minutes!”

“Then give him _five_!”

“We don’t-”

Sabrina spun around, glaring at him, “I don’t know who you are, or why you’re helping us, but it’s appreciated! I know you’re risking yourself for us. But I swear to whatever God you worship, you’re waiting right here for him if I have to turn the wheels on this thing into stone. I’ll turn you into a frog and use you as fish bait, so shut up, sit down, and get yourself ready to take off the second he’s here!”

Ferdinand gawped at her in silence for a minute, then burst into laughter.

“Lost treasure indeed!”

 

Julian took the stairs two at a time, lunging his way up the staircase. He met people coming down, running, crying and confused. Anyone he saw wearing a collar, he grabbed, quickly explained what was going on, and where to find the wagon.

“Out!” he’d tell them, “Get out, to the wagon, go!”

If he had his way, there wouldn’t be a single magician left in Earlington’s estate, but he knew it was impossible. There were too many, and soon the guards would have things under control. While it would take days to fix the damage done by the broken Blackstone crystal, guards would be put along the walls and on every gate to ensure not a single magician would try to flee.

That meant he had minutes left.

On the second floor, he flew down the hallway, taking in every door he could see. The majority of them were unadorned, with plain handles. Suddenly, his eyes fell on one that was different, with a robin carved into the front. Julian nearly tripped over his own feet stopping.

He grabbed the door, and rattled the handle.

Locked.

Cursing under his breath, not wanting to call out, he backed up a few steps, and bracing himself, raised a long leg and kicked at the door with everything he had. The door shuddered in the frame. A second kick splintered the frame slightly, and the third knocked the door backwards with a bang.

Darting into the darkened room, Julian saw Matilda standing beside the window, looking out. Her grey hair was unkempt, and she was in a sleeping gown. She stood back, hands clasped together before her, clearly frightened out of her wits.

Seeing it was Julian who had just kicked in her door and not a raving madman, she took a faltering step forward, “Julian? What’s going on? Is the place on fire? I heard explosions!”

“No time to explain,” he blurted, lunging forward and grabbing her by the hand, “We’re getting out of here!”

Julian turned, and started back into the hall, pulling a confused Matilda behind him.

“Getting out? We’re evacuating? The place is burning down? My plants! _My books!_ ”

“No dear, we’re getting you out of here. As in escaping this hell hole.” He was forced to slow his pace somewhat, her shorter, elderly legs unable to keep up with his longer stride. He continued to pull her along the hall, towards the stairs.

Gasping, she stopped, causing Julian to be yanked back to a stop.

“What do you mean escaping!?” her voice was high and frantic, “We can’t escape! The Master won’t allow it!”

Trying not to become frantic with a need to keep moving, Julian yanked her forward again, “Yes, I know, but he’s not _really getting any say in this!”_

She pulled him to a stop again, “No! I can’t! This is my _home!_ ”

Julian turned, looking back and down at her, trying to remain calm and not snap, “Matilda, this is _not_ your _home!_ You are a _prisoner_ here! And I’ll be _damned_ if I’m leaving you here to that madman’s care!”

_“I...I can’t!”_

_“Matil-”_

_“I’m scared!”_

Julian fell silent, blinking at her in confusion. 

iShe seemed to shrink in on herself, pulling her shoulders up in a defensive posture. 

“This has been my home for over _30 years_ , Julian. I _can’t_ leave. Where will I go? What will I _do?_ No, I..I’m fine here. Master doesn’t hurt me. He’s never hurt me. I have my room and my plants and my books....I belong here.” 

Swallowing past a lump in his throat, Julian took both of her hands in his, and risking a few minutes, went down on one knee before her, getting as close to eye-to-eye as was possible. 

I know change can be frightening, _believe me, I know_. And having change forced on you like this can be the _most_ frightening of all. You weren’t expecting it, you haven’t planned for it, and now you’re terrified because everything else from here is unknown. And the unknown is the most scary thing that exists.” 

Quietly, she gazed at him, her face pale and wan. 

“But you don’t _belong_ here, and you know you don’t belong here. And _Robert_ wouldn’t want you here. You know _that_ , too. He’d want you _free_. Just like _I_ want you free.” 

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she sobbed, once, before she nodded mutely. 

Julian squeezed her hands, and stood. Turning, he started forward again, leading her down the hallway towards the stairs. He was hurrying, pulling her as fast as he could. “You won’t be alone, you’ll be with others. They’ll take care of you.” 

She wasn’t spry anymore, however, and was soon tripping on the hem of her nightgown, stumbling to try and keep up. 

“I’m sorry,” she gasped, panting, “My legs...I can’t...” 

“Well, then I guess there’s just one thing for it, then!” 

Letting go of her hand, Julian turned back and bent. Slipping his arms around her, he lifted her clear off her feet, and after a second to adjust her, started forward down the stairs, carrying her. 

“Julian!” she shrieked, “You mustn’t! Put me down!” 

“Nonsense!” he laughed, “How else can I say I’m still sweeping beautiful ladies off their feet?” 

Outside, the fires were starting to go out, one by one, the reddish yellow glows vanishing. The guards were becoming more organized, the panicked guests all being rounded up and herded inside where heads could be counted. 

“We can’t stay!” one of the magicians in the wagon cursed, “We’ll be caught!” 

“Just a few more minutes!” Sabrina snapped, wringing her hands as she looked back towards the mansion, “He’ll be here, you can’t leave yet!” She drew a cloak tightly around her shoulders. It was one Ferdinand had given her, a lovely black silk one with a high collar and hood, after realizing she was wearing only a thin nightgown. 

“I’m not risking my life because he went bac-” 

“You’ll sit down and shut up is what you’ll do!” Ferdinand let out a roar, “No one is being abandoned, not you, and not him! I’ll get you safely out of here if I have you put on my back and crawl out on my hands and knees, so shut your trap!” 

“I’d be better off getting out and walking!” 

“Then what’s stopping you?” 

“There!” Sabrina yelled, pointing, “Oh, there! He’s got her!” 

There were relieved cries as Julian burst from the shadows, carrying Matilda. He ran up to the wagon, and lifted her over the side, “ _Here we are! Easy now, precious cargo!_ ” 

The other magicians rose, helping the elderly woman slide into the wagon, one young man giving up his seat for her. She clutched at Julian’s hand, turning to face him. In the low light of the evening and fires, her face was almost white. 

“Julian...what will I do!?” 

He smiled at her, “Anything your heart desires!” He stepped up on a wagon wheel, and planed a kiss on her forehead, “Go with them, and do whatever they say! They’ll make sure you’re safe!” 

“We have to move!” Ferdinand said, “We didn’t expect to be rescuing this many – we’ll have a doozy of a time getting everyone into a safe house! Get in, both of you!” 

Julian and Sabrina looked at the wagon, then at each other. Sabrina spoke first. 

“Two more people and the wheels will fall off that! Go, we’ll get out on foot!” 

“Are you _mad_!?” 

“I have an idea,” Julian suddenly said. He looked at Sabrina, then at Ferdinand. He reached up and took the Redthroat’s hand, shaking it. 

“Get these people out, Ferdinand. Get them out and get them somewhere safe. If we meet again, the first round’s on me.” 

“The first _three_ are on you!” Ferdinand pumped Julian’s hand, and looked to Sabrina, “Will you and your treasure be safe?” 

“That’s the plan. Go.” 

Reaching into the wagon, Ferdinand pulled out a large brown sack, and handed it to Julian, “Here. You’ll be needing these.” 

Confused, Julian took it, “What...er...what is it?” 

“You’ll see.” 

Julian nodded his thanks. 

Ferdinand spoke, “When you get out, go west. Get out through the west gate. There’s a note in that bag that will take you to the next place you need to be. Get her to read it, you’ll make no sense of it.” 

With a nod, and a grin, Ferdinand gave the reins a hard crack, and the horses lurched forward into a run. The Redthroat called over his shoulder, “Don’t die on me, Devorak, this story needs a happy ending!” 

Sabrina and Julian stood watching as the wagon lurched forward, into the press of bodies. There were screams of outrage and anger, but they parted, and the wagon rolled on. Now too fast to be stopped, no one hindered it, and it rolled through the open main gate, vanishing into the city beyond. 

Sabrina and Julian turned, and looked at each other. They reached out at the same time, clasping hands. 

“You said you have a plan,” she said, “You weren’t making that up, were you?” 

“Darling, I’m _hurt_!” he grinned, and turned, tugging her into a run behind him. 

They darted through the people, ducking occasionally to try and blend in. So far, either Earlington was too busy fighting the fires, or he had no idea half his staff of magician servants had vanished into the night. At least she wasn’t feeling anything. 

They broke from the group of people, Julian still leading her by the hand, and they ducked around a corner, slipping inside the stable. 

Fumbling in the dark for a second, a soft light appeared as Julian managed to find a lantern and lit it. He moved from stall to stall, looking at the horses inside. 

“Er...you _can_ ride a horse, right?” 

Sabrina gawped at him in silence for a moment. 

“ _No_ I can’t ride a horse! I grew up in the middle of a city! I’ve never been on a horse! At least I don’t remember ever being on a horse!” 

Julian paused, “Ah.” 

He looked over his shoulder at her for a moment, his face unreadable in the strange light of the lantern, and then he turned back, “Alright. Change of plan.” 

He hung up the lantern, and opening a pen door, slipped inside. Sabrina hesitantly stepped forward, listening as Julian softly spoke to the horse, murmuring. She heard a faint jingling, the sound of material rustling, and then the door opened again. Julian walked out, leading what looked to Sabrina to be the largest horse she had ever seen, a glossy black animal. Glancing down at the feet, she couldn’t see any long hair hanging around the hooves. That was one of the very few things she knew about horses....the really big ones had long hair around their hooves. This wasn’t one of the large ones, then....but it _looked_ bloody big enough. 

“This one will do. We’ll-” 

“Oh? Hello! Hiding out in here as well, are you?” 

Both Sabrina and Julian cringed, expecting to see a group of guards, or worse, Earlington himself, suddenly appear, yelling for them to be taken away. Julian was already getting ready to grab Sabrina and try to keep her behind him, when they both realized at the same time it wasn’t Earlington at all, but a very tall, thin man, peeping out from one of the horse stalls. After a second, a woman also peeped out, and Julian suddenly realized it was the husband and wife he had been speaking to earlier in the evening. Sabrina tugged up the collar and hood of the cloak, making sure her collar was well hidden. 

“Er...we were....” 

“Hiding from the chaos? Yes, us too. We were walking around the garden when we heard the explosions! Dreadful! Is it safe out there?” 

Sabrina spoke, “The guards are out now, rounding up the people. You’d be safer if you went out and went with them. The fires are almost out now. We’re getting out, too.” 

The woman stepped forward, eyeing Sabrina closely, “Dr. Hartfield, I don’t believe I know this young lady. Are you her brother?” 

Julian cast Sabrina a frantic look, like a small animal trapped in a corner. Sabrina, not knowing what had gone on before, just looked back, confused. 

“Uh, no, I’m her...her..” 

“ _Husband!_ ” Sabrina suddenly announced, slipping her arms around one of his, “He’s my husband, of course.” 

There was a sudden, shocking silence. The gentleman beamed while his wife suddenly turned cold hard eyes on Sabrina. 

“Oh? I wasn’t aware he was married.” Her eyes dropped to Sabrina’s hand, “You’re not wearing a ring.” 

“Oh, it’s very new!” Sabrina laughed, “Only a few weeks. We’re waiting for the matching rings to arrive from Trephoria. We’re still trying to decide on a honeymoon spot, aren’t we dear?” 

Sabrina looked up at Julian, to find him staring wide eyed at her, his face entirely crimson. 

Blinking, Sabrina decided it was best if Julian didn’t try to form any coherent words at the moment, and so plunged on, “You really should head back to the mansion. We’re going to head back to our house now – it seems the party ended so suddenly, more’s the pity. Oh, how about we invite you over for tea some time? We can get to know each other properly then.” 

“Yes,” the woman answered, in a tone of voice that indicated she would rather eat live spiders, “Why _don’t_ we? 

Come on, Harold.” 

She swept regally out of the stable, her husband smiling oblivious to everything, “Yes, tea would be wonderful! We’ll see you then!” 

Sabrina rested her head against Julian’s arm, smiling pleasantly, until the husband and wife vanished around the corner of the stable. Then she sagged, gasping in relief. 

“I didn’t think I was going to pull that off.” 

Julian said nothing, and when she looked up at him, he was still staring at her, red faced, only now there was a look of utter adoration on his face as he struggled to find words. 

Sabrina quickly turned on a heel, marching back towards the horse, “We should get going!” 

“I..er..yes. We...we need to go.” 

Julian roused himself. He swiftly tied the brown sack onto the saddle, and leading the horse over to the open door, neatly stepped up into the stirrup, and then cast a leg over, easing into the saddle. 

“We’ll be faster this way. No one will take notice of two more getting the hell out of here on a fine beast like this. They’ll assume it’s how we arrived.”

He leaned down slightly, and extended an arm, “Come up, up behind me.” 

“Uh....” 

Looking up at Julian, Sabrina felt like he was standing on a cliff looking down miles and miles at her. She just came up to the horse’s shoulder, and even in the low light, she could see the muscles on the animal. She had never even sat on a horse, let alone ridden on one. 

“Julian...” 

“It’ll be fine, trust me.” 

“I...” 

“We have to go. Now,” he said, his voice soft, “You know I won’t let anything happen to you. It’ll be an _adventure_.” 

“Sure,” she said weakly, “An adventure.” 

Grasping his arm, he easily swung her up to sit behind him, the skirt of her nightgown hiked up around her thighs. 

“Now, just hold on tig- _herrg!_ ” 

Sabrina loosened her arms a fraction, “Sorry!” 

Julian coughed faintly, “Right. Like that. You’ll be fine, darling.” 

He gathered up the reins, taking a firm grip, “Right. Ready?” 

Trepidation and a severe sense of regret suddenly swept through her, “Uh...wait, I’m not sure-” 

“Here we go!” 

“Hang on! Wait, I-” 

_“HYAH!”_

The horse lunged forward. 

She shrieked as they burst out of the stable like an arrow. The horse picked up speed on the grassy ground. With each hammering impact of hoof on ground, Sabrina felt it running up her butt and into her back. Beneath her she could feel the horse’s muscles work as Julian led the animal around the side of the stable and into the yard proper. She didn’t see much – she had her eyes squeezed shut. 

Around her, she could hear startled cries and curses as people were forced to jump out of the way of the galloping horse. She kept a tight grip on Julian, terrified she was going to fall off back over the horse’s ass. 

It didn’t help the horse was unable to get a good steady gallop going – Julian was forced to keep swerving it around people, twisting in and out of knots, so they’d be galloping and then cantering, then galloping again. Her insides felt like they were going to fall out onto the ground. 

Careening around the side of the mansion, they finally broke away from the knot of people, and suddenly there was nothing before them but open ground and the front gate. 

Sabrina felt Julian give the horse his lead, and the long stride of the animal stretched out. No longer hampered by humans, the horse settled in for a good run. 

_“Stop them!”_

__

That voice. 

Sabrina hunched her shoulders up, just as she felt Julian’s entire body stiffen. Opening her eyes, she looked back to see a group of guards running from the mansion, swarming out into the yard. In their midst, stood the Duke. 

Even from here, Sabrina could see Earlington’s eyes, hard as ice, as he glared at herself and Julian. 

The horse never broke stride, and if Earlington tried to recall Sabrina through her collar, they moved too far away too swiftly for it to work. No pain, no backlash, nothing. She just continued to cling to Julian as they continued forward. 

Julian’s voice broke through her thoughts. 

“Sabrina, hang on!” 

“What do you mean hang on!? What’s happening!” 

“We’re jumping!” 

_“What!?”_

Suddenly, beneath her, the horse’s muscles bunched, and released, and they were all airborne. She locked back the scream that threatened to burst out. She didn’t know if it was worse seeing, or just having Julian’s back in her entire field of vision. 

They landed with a heavy thud, and to her it felt like her guts all crashed down into her ass. Her teeth clicked together hard, drawing blood from the inside of her cheek. She cursed, loudly, and felt Julian grab at her arm, as if making sure she was still there. 

Suddenly, they were outside, in the city. 

Everything was flashing past so quickly, torch lights in houses and buildings, dark alleyways. The sound of the horse’s shoes rang loudly off the cobblestones as they fled, making their way towards one of the city gates. 

Once they were no longer confined by the estate, Julian eased back a little, slowing the horse into more of an extremely fast canter than an actual gallop. 

“Why are we slowing!?” she called. 

He called back over his shoulder, “The horse is shod.” 

She frowned, having no idea what that even meant, but she didn’t question him. He apparently knew a lot more about horses than she did – if she weren’t feeling like she was about to fall off at any moment or fall to her death, she was quite sure she’d be extremely impressed with his sudden skill in horsemanship, and made a promise to herself to make him aware of that. 

Sabrina suddenly realized she was out. 

They were no longer in Earlington’s estate. They were no longer prisoners. 

They were free. 

Together, and _free_. 

She turned her head, pressing her face against his back, fighting back the tears that threatened her eyes, cursing at herself for being so soppy and weepy and useless. She should be roaring with victory, not weeping like one of those “damsels in distress” books that irked her so much. 

But she was so tired. And having no magic to protect herself, she had been completely helpless. And that was a completely new feeling to her. 

Sabrina took in a long breath, drawing in Julian’s scent through his shirt, drawing it around herself like a warm blanket, letting it soothe her. She wasn’t alone. He was there. They were together now. They’d be safe soon, and all this nightmare would be over. 

They continued to canter through the city. For the most part, it seemed almost deserted. The curfew was in place, and only those with a good reason to be out were on the streets. It was either the fact the two of them were actively moving along on a horse, or the fact they were both reasonably dressed and so appeared to be well to do, but none of the guards of the city approached and ordered them to stop. The loud retorts of the horse’s hooves echoed loudly along the streets, and people were well out of the way by the time they turned onto a lane. 

Sabrina tried to tug the skirt of her night gown a little lower on her legs, the skin starting to get cold. She looked around, but she had no idea of the layout of the city, and so had no idea where they were. 

Trying to he heard over the horse’s hoofbeats but not yelling outright and grabbing attention, she rose up slightly, leaning into Julian’s back. Realizing she was trying to talk, he leaned back towards her. 

“How are we going to get out of the city?” Sabrina asked, “Will they just let us go? Isn’t there a curfew or something?” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll think of something,” he said reassuringly. 

Sabrina was not reassured. 

Sitting back onto her butt, she chewed her lower lip as she thought. What excuse could they possibly make for leaving a city under a curfew? Especially if the guards had heard explosions from Earlington’s place? 

It was only a few minutes later, that they slowed even more, and Sabrina leaned around Julian’s form to see a large gate ahead. There were two guards standing before it. It was wooden, and thick, but thankfully not what she expected. She had feared a city gate would have been a massive iron thing. 

“Right,” Julian’s voice was low as they approached, “So here’s the plan. We live outside the city in a quaint little house. We’ve been at Earlington’s for his party, and with the explosions, you’ve become overwrought and I’m taking you home.” 

“Great, a damsel in distress.” 

She felt Julian chuckle more than heard it, but she was quick to speak again, “No no, I’m good. If it works, it works.” 

_Besides. I was just being all weepy and pathetic. Might as well make it work for us._

As they rode up to the gate, both guards came to life. They put their hands on their swords, and one spoke, “Halt. Come no farther. State your business.” 

“Reginald Hemsford, and my companion Olivia Valvendi. We’ve just been to Duke Earlington’s and there’s been an attempt on Puriew’s life! My lady is frightened and upset, and we’re heading back home.” 

The two guards looked at each other, startled, “An attempt on Puriew’s life!?” 

“That’s what I heard, though neither of us stayed to find out the truth.” Julian’s voice turned unamused and haughty, “Really, I had assumed Valdeer would have better security than this.” 

“Sir, you can’t just leave the city this time of night without-” 

“Can’t? Who are _you_ to tell me what I can and can’t do? My lady is distraught and frightened. She’s very delicate, and if she becomes ill from this you can be sure your superiors will hear about it. Now stand aside and let us pass.” 

The two guards looked at each other again, unsure. Within her arms, Sabrina felt him tense, getting ready to change tactic quickly should his gambit not work. As she watched, one of the guards steeled himself, drawing himself up. He was about to refuse them, she could tell. 

Before Julian could do something drastic, she gathered her wits about herself, and spoke in the coldest, most arrogant and haughty tone she could summon. 

“I was quite looking forward to this visit to Valdeer, but I am _terribly_ vexed. Not only were common rogues and hooligans allowed to infiltrate Earlington’s estate and threaten our lives, but we have been treated like common _peasants_ upon the moment of arrival. I’ll have you know my Ladies’ Club will be _hearing_ about this, and I will make certain they reconsider ever visiting Valdeer in the near future for any business deals or vacations.” 

The guard who had been drawing himself up deflated. The threat of potential business loss for the guilds was a bigger threat than two people on a horse. He seemed to wilt, and motioned for the other guard to unlatch the gate. 

Sneering down his nose at the guards, Julian walked the horse through the gate, and onto the path outside. 

Neither of them made a sound, spoke a word, until they continued along the path for several minutes, making certain they were well out of earshot. The two of them let their breath out with a long huff. 

“That was closer than I like,” Julian admitted, looking over his shoulder at her, his face breaking into a wide smile, “You were amazing, Sabrina! You sounded like an upper class lady.” 

“Thanks,” she grinned, “I just made myself as insufferable as possible.” 

They rode on for a few more minutes, then he turned the horse off the main path, before slipping down and leading it further into the forest. Sabrina slid up a little farther on the horse, finally feeling like she wasn’t going to slide off. It was almost pitch black in the forest. 

Julian removed the brown sack from the saddle, and opened it. 

“Er...can you make light, dear? Or is it..?” 

Cautiously raising a hand, Sabrina concentrated, and a small globe of light appeared. Julian looked up, pausing when he saw the joyful smile on Sabrina’s face. 

“Look!” she breathed, looking down at him, “ _I can do it again!_ ” 

Julian returned her smile, gentle and soft. Just seeing her smile again, it was worth it all. 

Opening the sack wider, he reached in, feeling around, but looked up at her, “Sabrina, back at the Duke’s...you know I never meant for you to be hurt. I’d never do _anything_ to harm you, nothing! If I had known what that bastard was plannin - “ 

He blinked, pausing. Looking down into the sack, he pulled out a handful of material, as black as the night around them. 

“Is this...?” he dropped the sack, turning the material over in his hands, squinting at it slightly, before bursting into a huge grin, “It is! My clothing! How did he get my things!?” 

Sabrina laughed as Julian pulled out his usual clothing, even down to his long boots. 

“Where did he get those?” 

Julian was already kicking off his shorter boots, “We changed clothing outside Valdeer before entering. My things were there....Nadia or Asra must have told him and he got it. Oh thank God I missed my old things....” 

Sabrina burst into laughter as he started undoing his belt, and shucked off his pants, dropping them around his ankles, “Just going to change right here?” 

“The horse is protecting my virtue from the road,” he grinned, slipping one leg into his old pants, “and _you_ know I don’t actually _have_ any.” 

He glanced up at her and winked, starting to undo his vest and shirt. 

She laughed again, leaning forward as he tied his belt. Hopping on one foot, he started pulling one of his long boots on. 

While he was off balance, she reached out with a hand, and sliding it along the side of his throat, curled her fingers at the base of his neck. He looked up at her, blinking, and she leaned down, claiming his lips with hers. 

Julian staggered against the horse, still on one foot, forced now to put the other to the ground, the boot only half on. Pants still undone, shirt hanging open, he reached up, leaning up into the kiss, sliding his own hands up into her hair, a soft sound of longing in his throat. 

After a second, she pulled back, smiling down at him, speaking softly, coyly, “Maybe it’s because I stole it all from you?” 

He remained leaning against the horse for a moment, just looking at her with a mixture of longing and adoration, before speaking, “I wasn’t _protesting...._ ” 

She softly laughed, leaning back up, “Finish dressing. I don’t like just hanging around here.” 

“Right.” 

He finished dressing, complete with his old black cloak with scarlet lining. He gladly slipped on his old gloves, and even found his old eyepatch. Even though the new one was the same color, he put on the old one. It was softer from use, well worn and comfortable. 

Fishing around in the sack, he pulled out a piece of paper. He squinted at it for a moment, then shook his head, handing it up to her, “You’re apparently going to make _sense_ of this.” 

Taking the paper, Sabrina brightened the little globe of light, and studied it. 

It appeared to just be a letter from someone named Eric to someone called John. A basic letter about the farming business in another country. But Sabrina could feel the magic running through the paper. Passing a hand over the paper, she murmured something under her breath, and within second, a faint glittering script appeared. There was a second message running between the lines of the letter. 

She leaned forward again, holding it out for Julian to see. He quickly read it. 

“...Travel two leagues. Look for a rotten post with ivy grown around it. Follow the rabbit path to the Inn. If the lantern is lit in the window, continue on the path until you find the circle of stones. Wait there to be found. If the lantern is not lit in the Inn’s window, find a place to hide. Remain there until the next night, and look to see if the lantern is lit. While hiding, do not answer anyone’s calls, no matter who they say they are. You may be hunted. Stay quiet, stay low, and wait.” 

Julian cast Sabrina an unhappy look, “Charming.” 

He slipped the paper into one of his pockets, and reached up to help Sabrina down, “Come down for a few minutes and stretch your legs. We’ll continue on in a few.” 

“I don’t need to stretch my legs, I’m fine.” 

Julian just cast her a knowing grin, “Trust me.” 

Frowning faintly, she reached out and let herself be helped down from the horse. The minute her feet hit the ground, cramps shot up the backs of her legs and she almost fell, _“Argh!”_

Julian supported her, “You use completely different muscles on a horse than any other time. Trust me, stay there for a few hours and even your _ass_ cramps.” 

Sabrina burst out laughing. 

As he gently helped her stand upright, her cloak fell back, and his hand brushed her bare arm. His eyes widened, and he quickly touched her shoulders. 

“Sabrina, you’re _freezing!_ Oh _damn_ , look what you’re _wearing!_ I never noticed – you’ll catch your death in that!” 

“I’ll be ok-” 

He turned, and bending, picked up the clothing he had dropped after changing. Shaking the articles of clothing out, he walked back to her, and started untying the cloak she was wearing. 

“Here, put these on – it’s all I have – I should have _realized_ – you can’t run around in the forest at night in _that_ thin silk thing, what was I _thinking?_ ” 

“Julian, really -” 

She quietly protested as he removed her cloak, and slipped his white silk shirt on over her nightgown. The sleeves were way too long, dangling past her fingertips, and the hem hung down to mid thigh. He buttoned it up, shaking his head, while she rolled up the sleeves. He eyed the green vest for a moment, before shaking his head, and pulled her cloak back on, retying it, “There’s no way the pants will fit, you’d never be able to walk. Are your feet cold? I could wrap your feet in something-” 

“Julian, I’m ok. I’m just a little chilly, that’s all.” 

“Well, I can still get the vest. That would add another layer.” 

“Why don’t you just warm me up?” 

He fell silent for a moment, a faint smile forming on his face, “I mean....I’d never say no to that, but...” 

She turned, reaching up to grasp the saddle, “Help me up, then use those long legs of yours and hop up behind me.” 

He reached out, taking hold of her sides gently, “Don’t want to stay down for a bit?” 

She shook her head, “I’m not comfortable here. I want us somewhere safe before I can finally relax.” 

Julian nodded. Sabrina gathered herself, and jumped. He lifted her slightly, then planted his hands on her butt and boosted her up until she was able to cast a leg over the horse, and sit.  
Looking at the distance between her feet and the stirrups, he chuckled. He reached up, and grasping the saddle, pulled himself up. He settled in behind her, and when she leaned back against him, he pulled his cloak around her, tucking it against her neatly. Sabrina closed her eyes, resting her head back against his chest, smiling as he curled an arm around her. When he took the reins in his hand, she laid her hands over his. 

“Comfortable?” he asked, his voice soft, right in her ear, “Are you getting warm?” 

Julian was normally cooler than she was, but here, where she was chilled, he was so much warmer, “Yes,” she said softly, “This is nice.” 

He gave a gentle motion to the horse, and let it move out slowly in it’s own pace. Sabrina set the small globe of light to drift before the horse, low to the ground, to help the animal see any obstacles or holes so it wouldn’t trip. 

They were quiet as they moved, the only sound the soft thud of the horse’s hooves on the ground. There was a gentle swaying motion the horse set, and after a moment, they both settled to it. Sabrina found it almost hypnotizing, relaxing. A gentle side to side motion, a gentle roll, the feel of Julian’s arm around her, his hand under hers... 

She spoke, “Why did you slow the horse in the city? You said he was shod? I don’t understand.” 

He cleared his throat, “Oh. Shod. The horse has shoes on. It’s good for if the animal is walking around one the ground a lot, but it gives them terrible traction on cobblestones. They can slip quite easily, and I didn’t want the beast to fall and break a leg.” 

She smiled to herself. Julian had even been thinking about the horse’s welfare. 

Sabrina was about to speak, to compliment him on his horsemanship, when he spoke again, his voice low and strained. 

“Sabrina, I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?” 

She blinked, confused, still looking ahead. 

“For what?” 

A pause. 

“For...what happened. For Earlington punishing _you_ because I tried to escape.” 

“Julian-” 

“I swear, if I had known, I would never have tried anything! I’d never risk you, surely you know that by now! I thought he’d harm me, yes, but not _you_!” 

“Julian-” 

He tightened his arm around her, pulling her back against him, voice growing upset, “When he brought you into the room...I didn’t know what to do. I _tried_ to get him to stop, not to hurt you-” 

“Ju-” 

“I begged, but he wouldn’t listen! I tried! I could hear you _screaming_...and he...your _hand_...” 

“ _Ilya_!” 

He took a shuddering breath, lowering his head, resting his forehead against her shoulder, arm tight around her, “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “Please, please forgive me.” 

“Stop. Stop. You’re not a fault. I already told you this.” 

He spoke, lips moving against the cloak draped over her shoulder, “I shouldn’t have _tried_. I was cocky, I was arrogant, thinking I could escape. I shouldn’t have even _tried_....” 

Sabrina linked her fingers into his, turning her head so their temples were pressed together, “You thought he would be normal, Julian. That he’d punish you. And you thought the punishment was worth the risk. I’d have done the same thing. But you can’t blame yourself for what he did. There was no reason you’d expect him to hurt me to hurt you. That’s....sick in ways normal people wouldn’t comprehend. So I don’t want you blaming yourself.” 

“Sabrina. I just...I need to know you forgive me.” 

There was silence for a moment, and then she spoke, “No.” 

He took a breath, lifting his head to look at her, jaw clenched, misery in his eyes. 

“I can’t forgive you for something you didn’t do, Julian.” She reached up with a hand, gently cupping his jaw in her palm, “And I’m not tolerating you beating yourself up for this. So no. No I don’t forgive you. Because I can’t. Because there’s nothing to forgive.” 

She looked deep into his grey gaze, “Do you understand?” 

Silently, only the sound the continued gentle thud of the horse in the background, Julian studied her face. Emotions passed over his face in rapid succession: fear, misery, hurt, despair...and then confusion. Understanding. Revelation. Acceptance. And finally contentment. 

A quiet, almost shy smile formed on his face, and he nearly whispered, “Yes, I.... I understand now.” 

She gently frowned, running a thumb over his cheek, the cut still visible, dried blood marring it. He spoke gently, "It doesn't hurt. Promise." 

She returned his smile. Turning her head forward, she leaned back against him, pulling her arm back under the warmth of the cloak, of their shared body heat, closing her eyes, “I love you, Ilya Devorak.” 

Julian pressed his lips to her temple, “I can do you one better. I adore you, Sabrina Brackenridge.” 

They continued on that way in contented silence. In the gentle sway of the horse, the scent of Julian all around her, the feel of his arm holding her, she drifted off, lightly nodding off and on. It was the first time since she had been taken she felt safe enough to truly relax. While she had slept, it was never truly sleep, far too close to the surface. 

She was awoken when he pulled the horse to a stop, and slipped off. Waking up fully, she looked around, “Are we here already?” 

“No...still about a league to go. But the ground here may be rough, so I’m going to lead the horse.” 

She nodded, staying where she was as he took the reins and started to walk. Again, the peaceful environment seemed to draw on her, and she semi drifted, never really sleeping as now she was aware she could topple off. 

She wasn’t aware there was trouble until she heard Julian curse. Waking up brutally fast, she looked down at him. 

He stood in the road, looking back the way they had come, still as a statue. His entire body was stiff, tense like a spring. 

Sabrina opened her mouth to ask him what was going on, when she suddenly became aware of what he was hearing. 

Thundering hooves. 

A large group of horses, bearing down towards them. 

Julian and Sabrina’s eyes met, and he turned, lunging back up onto the horse in front of Sabrina. He gathered up the reins as she held on for dear life. 

_“Hang on,” he cursed, “This is going to be messy.”_

He gave a hard kick to the horse’s sides, and the beast lurched forward. Sabrina re created the ball of light, setting it to brighten the path before the horse. 

They had just gotten up to a good gallop when the band of horses coming on the path behind him rounded a corner, and Sabrina turned, getting a good view of them. 

Five of them, in Duke Earlington’s uniform, bearing down with swords drawn. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> High speed chase, the Bolthole, a doctor needed.

The horse pounded along the ground, the orb of light Sabrina had conjured skimming the surface of the ground just before them. She hoped it would give their mount enough light to be able to avoid any holes or rocks and not trip. Sabrina’s insides were feeling shaken up again, but she clung to Julian as tight as she could.

Risking another look back she could see the guards gaining on them. Their horses were either used to running at night, or were simply being driven to risk themselves. Knowing the Duke, Sabrina thought either explanation was equally possible. Despite the low light, they were making good time.

Julian did his best to get the most speed from the horse, leaning forward to try and stay low, reduce as much drag as possible.

The guards were getting closer.

 _“Julian!”_ she called out a warning.

“I see them!”

Sabrina cursed in her mind. Was Earlington really that wilful? That he’d send guards all the way out here to run them down, and bring her back? His estate was on _fire_. There was probably _holes_ blown in buildings, thanks to the Redthroats’ explosives. He was going to have to deal with Puriew being present when the attack took place – Sabrina had no idea what Puriew looked like, and no idea if he had escaped unharmed.

And still, in all that, he was sending his guards out of the city, to try and run down a single captive magician.

Just what was he going to do with those spiders?

Trees on either side of the path flashed by in bursts of dark green and black, as the moon came out from behind the clouds, casting it’s light down upon them. Sabrina offered up a silent prayer to whoever might be up there – the additional moonlight was helping their horse.

Sabrina felt how Julian was easily controlling their horse with legs and body, moving smoothly as if they were one animal. She, on the other hand, felt like she was being shook up.

Risking another look behind, she was alarmed to see they were still gaining, and the one in front was very close. She could see his eyes as he glared at her, teeth bared.

The sound of the thundering hooves, the deep snorts of the horses as they gulped air for running, the blur of the trees on either side of them...it all blurred into a miasma of sound and sight.

She wasn’t going back.

Sabrina _refused_. She would fight to the death before she went back to Earlington, and....she knew in her bones that if they were captured, the guards had been given orders to kill Julian. He wouldn’t be given another chance. Earlington would assume that Julian had somehow set all the chaos up, just to allow him and Sabrina to escape, and after giving Earlington his word he’d never try it again, the Duke would be beside himself with rage.

Julian would be run through and left on the path to die.

She would not allow it.

Tightening her right arm around his waist, Sabrina turned to her left, leaning back, extending an arm towards the closest guard.

“Sabrina? What are you doing!?”

She said nothing, concentrating. She could feel her magic building around her fingertips, growing in strength. Sabrina was going on a hunch that Earlington himself had to be there to stop her from using her magic – that while she couldn’t use it against him in any manner, he had to actively stop her from using it against anyone else.

Well...she was about to find out.

The guard’s eyes widened for a second, just before she released her magic.

A bright ball of light shot from her fingertips like a burning coal, streaking across the distance between them, angling neatly around to strike him in the center of his chest.

The guard was catapulted backwards out of his saddle, his sword flying from his hand. He pitched backwards, over the rump of his horse, landing hard on his back in the middle of the path. The other guards had to swing their horses almost violently to either side to avoid trampling him to death.

Sabrina let out a whoop of victory, of delight. Her magic was hers to use again, for defence and protection.

She was no longer bound.

Hearing her cry out, Julian looked back, eye wide, “Sabrina!?”

“Just keep us going, Julian, and keep us steady! I got them!”

“You mean...your magic?”

“Back at last!”

He grinned, looking back to the path ahead, _“Then let them have it!”_

The other guards had fallen back slightly, now that they were aware she was using magic on them. The riderless horse had run from the group, and had returned to gaze down at it’s rider, lying in the middle of the path.

After pursuing them for a short distance, one of the guards made a motion to another, and they both started easing up alongside Sabrina’s horse, one on either side. She looked from one to the other, keeping them both in her peripheral vision.

The one on her right was eyeing Julian, and was holding his sword out, angled down. It looked like an assumed pose – getting ready to lash out the moment he felt he was close enough.

That one had to go first.

Switching arms, she now curled her left around Julian, casting outwards with her right. The small spark of light streaked out towards the guard -

\- only to be reflected off as the guard batted it aside with his sword, where it rebounded out into the forest.

She cursed. The guard’s sword must have some sort of magic-reflecting property put on it.

She quickly cast an eye over the guard, trying to work out how to get rid of him without hurting the horse. It would be easy enough to trip the beast, but she didn’t want it to be killed for breaking a leg, in a fight it had no part of.

Sabrina narrowed her eyes, and changed tactics.

Flicking her hand out again, the guard swiped at her a second time, but her magic wasn’t aimed at him directly, and his sword passed by harmlessly.

Beneath the galloping horse, however, the straps on the saddle suddenly came loose, and the entire saddle twisted to the side.

Dropping his sword, arms windmilling in shock, the guard, still seated in the saddle, slipped from the horse, and fell heavily to the side of the path. Behind him, another horse was forced to lunge off the path to keep from crushing the guard, and reared, spooked.

The riderless horse also became spooked when it’s rider just seemed to suddenly vanish, and it too lunged from the path, cantering to a stop, and tossing it’s head.

That one guard gone, she turned to face the one on her left, just in time to see him swing at Julian with his sword.

The blade passed mostly through thin air as Julian ducked, leaning away as much as possible. The very tip of the sword passed less than an inch from his arm.

Hissing in fury, Sabrina cast out with her magic again, striking the guard two times in rapid succession – _crackcrack!_ \- and he faltered, clinging to his saddle with all his might. Furious, Sabrina let loose with another spell, this one targeting the guard’s hands, and she felt a savage burst of satisfaction when she saw one of his fingers break seconds before he lost his grip, and toppled from the horse.

Tightening her hold on Julian again, she turned around, glaring back at the other two guards, who were already pulling their mounts back, letting them slow. The one she had just dismounted was already on his feet, running to try and get back on his horse.

Julian and Sabrina’s horse continued to thunder through the forest on the path, not letting up.

It was a few minutes later that they realized the guards had given up, at least for now, regrouping to figure out their next plan of attack. They knew they’d never be able to get close now, not with Sabrina able to cast in free will.

Another minute, and Julian was pulling his horse back as well, easing back into a canter for a few minutes, before giving the horse enough head to slow to a walk. The beast’s sides were bellowing as it fought to catch it’s breath, and Julian slipped from it’s back, taking up the reins to walk it. He didn’t want it to cramp after such a sudden full force gallop, then stopping full tilt.

“I think we lost them. For now,” he said, constantly looking back over his shoulder at the path.

“They’ll regroup,” she said.

“Yes, but they have to be wary now. You’re not bound anymore.” He smiled back up at her, “That was very impressive, by the way. You took them out quite neatly, one two three!”

“It feels good to have my magic back.” Sabrina wiggled her fingers.

“The faster we can get off the path, the better,” he said, “They’ll keep coming for a while yet. They don’t dare go back to Earlington empty handed.”

 

They moved as swiftly as they felt safe. Julian continued to walk the horse, letting it work as a cool down, both he and Sabrina continually looking over their shoulders to the path behind them. The full moon was out in all it’s glory, lighting the way, but lighting them as well.

It was about ten minutes after the horse had finally cooled down, that Sabrina’s eyes fell on the rotten stump of a road sign.

“Julian, there!”

He swiftly moved over, and inspected it from every angle, “Well, it’s ivy covered. And I can see a rabbit path passing by.”

Walking back to the horse, he reached up, and helped Sabrina down to the ground. Once they were dismounted, he removed the horse’s saddle and bridle, putting them in the shadow of a tree where they were least likely to catch anyone’s eye.

“This fellow might be wandering a while before he’s found,” he explained, “Might as well make him comfortable and able to eat and drink while he’s waiting.”

With a gentle slap to the horses’ ass, Julian watched as it sauntered a distance away, moving into the shadows of the trees, and starting to graze.

He turned, and taking Sabrina’s hand, started to lead her along the rabbit path.

“Will he be ok there?” Sabrina asked, “Will they see him?”

“He should be safe enough – there are farms around here. He’ll probably wander into one tomorrow, and get picked up there. As for the guards seeing him...it’s possible, but there’s no way to run him off...it’s too dark.”

Now, hand in hand, they moved through the forest. Sabrina didn’t dare make a light, so they relied on the moonlight to light their way. The shadows of the trees looked deep enough to get lost in, and Sabrina avoided them, as if she could actually fall into one.

She found herself watching Julian as he made his way, occasionally ducking under a low branch. In the moonlight he was almost pure white, his hair looking midnight black. With his black clothing, he looked positively ethereal.

He paused once, looking at her, a little concerned, “You’re awfully quiet. Are you alright?”

She smiled at him, “Just looking at how beautiful you are.”

He blinked, and even in the low light, his blush was visible, “I..er...I...”

Sabrina quietly laughed. He chuckled faintly, “That’s supposed to be my line.”

“Too bad, I thought of it first.”

He squeezed her hand.

 

They continued to walk, and as the night moved on, the temperature dropped. The dew formed on the grass, wetting her slippers through. She tried to keep it hidden from Julian, but always attentive, he saw what was happening.

“Not far now,” he murmured to her, “The Inn is just up ahead. Once we find the meeting place, and get inside, you’ll warm up in no time.”

“Right,” she cast him a chilled smile.

They slipped up to the edge of the forest, and peering out through, finally saw the Inn.

The windows were black.

They both remained still, unsure.

“Maybe it went out?” Sabrina whispered, “They can’t keep a lantern lit all night....can they?”

She studied Julian’s face. He was intently watching the Inn, his grey eye locked on the window. After a moment, he turned, pulling her back into the forest, “We’ll find a place to hole up for the night.”

“They might be...the lantern might just have-”

“No. We’re not risking it.”

Sabrina opened her mouth to speak again, but fell silent. It was so rare that Julian was absolute like this, making plans, almost making orders. She was well aware if she actually refused he’d give in to her, but just being this firm about something....she knew he was worried, and didn’t want to stress him. He had been through enough, in her opinion.

Besides...he was right. They had been warned, and it would be stupid to go against it.

She let herself be led back from the forest edge, quietly following as he looked about, searching for a place they could settle in for the night, a place comfortable and well hidden.

A few minutes later, he turned off the trail, tugging her gently into a copse of trees. They were overgrown, willows, their branches dipping deeply, brushing the forest floor. Julian had to duck almost to his knees to pass under, Sabrina just dipping slightly.

Once inside, it became quieter. There was no grass on the ground, just a carpet of pine needles. The tree was large, it’s branches thick, the ends dipping to the ground, making an enclosed area.

Still half crouched, Julian was looking up into the branches. After a moment, he breathed a quiet “A-ha”,. Walking over to the trunk of the tree, he reached up, grasping a branch higher up, and pulled himself up. Scrabbling for a second, he managed to get himself turned around, sitting on the branch, leaning back with his back against the trunk.

He reached down for her, “Upsy daisy.”

Sabrina reached up, grasping his hand, and using the trunk as a push off, was pulled up into the tree as well, settled neatly on his lap, laying crossways across him. He pulled her back against his chest, and wrapped his cloak around her.

“There. Snug as a bug.”

“I’m not too heavy?”

He made a scoffing sound, slipping his arms around her.

She leaned back against him, resting her head on his chest, laying on her left side. Under his cloak, she slid a hand up over his chest, resting it over his heart. Shifting faintly, he rested his hand atop hers.

“If we fall asleep, we’re going to fall out,” she whispered.

He chuckled, “I won’t fall out. I’ve slept in trees before.”

Blinking, Sabrina tilted her head up, looking at him, “Why were you....correction. What was going on that made you have to sleep in a tree?”

He smiled, voice as low as hers as they quietly talked, “Well, I could tell you, but I don’t know if the story is fit for a lady’s ears.”

“Oh come on, it can’t be much worse than the war elephant, and you told me that one...what....three nights after we first met?”

Julian coughed, turning a little pink, “I was...er...trying to impress you?”

Sabrina arched a brow, “By telling me about kidnapping a pregnant war elephant? And telling me about the joys of helping it give birth? All the details?”

He turned pinker, “I was trying to flirt, alright?”

“Oh you had the flirting down just _fine._ It was the follow through you were lacking on.”

Julian blinked at her, “We weren’t exactly alone!”

“Excuses.”

He gawked at her for a second, then laughed, squeezing her, “You’re shameless.”

A few moments of silence passed. Now, finally together, and alone, they relaxed more, though still on high alert. They subconsciously listened for any sounds outside their little shelter.

They were silent for a few minutes, just listening to each other breathing. Julian kept his arms around her, keeping her close and warm. He kept his hand atop hers, and after a moment, felt a very faint ridge running over her first knuckle.

A scar. From where Earlington threatened to take a finger.

His stomach roiled faintly, closing his eyes and trying to push the image from his mind. But another memory came to him – of Sabrina, standing like a statue, looking at the Duke, no expression on her face. No anger, no emotion, nothing.

Then there had been a sudden surge. Julian had felt it right down in his middle, as if all the air had been sucked out of him, as if something had reached into his middle and pulled on something. It hadn’t been painful at all, but such a strange sensation of a wrenching.....and suddenly there had been that explosion of heat.

It had knocked everyone standing back onto their asses, knocked Sabrina backwards where she had fallen onto her face, her nose and ears bleeding. Had he been standing, he would have been hit as well.

Had Sabrina done that? It wasn’t like anything he had seen her do before – Sabrina always made physical motions when she cast. Not knowing magic, Julian wasn’t aware if it was something all magicians had to do, or just an affectation Sabrina did. But every time she cast, she moved a hand, made a wave, even twiddled her fingers. This time, nothing. Just that eerie, blank stare.

And such heat. That was strange, too. He knew the flavour of her magic now. The little things that made her magic hers, and not Asra’s, for instance. When she would cast it on him, there was a slight cooling sensation, a tingle. The only time she had ever used heat was those few times to dry them off, and that time in the tower....

Never like that.

He remembered the Duke’s voice, talking to him.... _”She has a great deal of power....she just doesn’t really know how to use it yet. She’s like a child capable of picking up a sword and using it. She has the power, but not the training. It’s apparent she had someone teaching her, but either they weren’t aware of it themselves, or they purposefully avoided trying to unleash her full potential.”_

Asra had been her teacher...he had been her master. What was the Duke saying? Hadn’t Asra taught her properly? He doubted that. Asra was very thorough when it came to magic, and it was extremely unlikely he’d teach anyone without teaching them how to cast safely.

He spoke, his whisper almost completely silent, in case she were asleep.

_“Sabrina?”_

“Mmm?” she seemed to come up from a light doze.

“Ah...you were asleep, I’m sorry.”

Her voice had the sound of a smile, “It’s ok. What is it?”

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke, “That spell you did in the Duke’s...room. When we were being...punished. What was that?”

She stirred, not lifting her head from his chest, but angling it up so she could look at him, “Hmm?”

He looked down at her, meeting her eyes, “That spell you did. The...powerful one. Where you knocked everyone backwards. I’ve never seen you do anything like that before.”

She frowned, a furrow between her eyes, “What are you talking about?”

“The....it’s what knocked you out, darling. Hurt you.”

She turned her gaze away, looking out towards the branches of the willow, thinking, “I...don’t remember casting a spell.”

Julian frowned.

Sabrina spoke again, “I know I did something....Matilda told me I did, but...I can’t remember what it was.”

“What _do_ you remember?”

She fell silent for a minute, then spoke, “Him. Earlington. Hurting us. I was scared, and angry. Then...you, screaming. He _hurt_ you. And I..... I was so angry. I wanted to....”

She fell silent for a second, then spoke again, “Then I woke up in my bed. That’s it.” 

Sabrina looked back up at him, “You said I knocked everyone down?”

“Right back on their asses. One fellow was slightly on fire. There was a lot of heat.”

Sabrina frowned, “I didn’t hurt you, did I?!”

“Oh! No, nono, I’m fine. I was kneeling, so I was...er...below the blast line, I guess you could say. No, darling, I was fine.”

Another pause.

“Did Asra teach you that, do you think?”

“I don’t think so, he never....he never liked using his magic to hurt people. The most he’d do is trick.”

He watched as she smoothed her face, closing her eyes again, “We...we should try to sleep a little, Julian. We might be moving a lot tonight.”

Frowning faintly, he raised a hand, and gently laid it against the back of her head, “Right, yes.”

 

They slept off and on for the majority of the day. Around evening meal Julian decided he’d go see if he could forage for something to eat, but Sabrina was too worried they might be caught.

“You don’t honestly think that Earlington’s given up, do you? He’ll have his men out here, all over the place. No, we’ll wait until tonight. If we can’t get in tonight, we....we can figure out something else.”

“I’ve done this before, you know. Hidden out, scrounged around for berries, nuts, the like.”

She shook her head, adamant, “No. No, we....we stay here.”

He disagreed, but she seemed stressed, and so he agreed. He supposed considering what had happened, he didn’t really blame her for being frightened they might be captured again. She was probably scared she’d have to go back to making those spiders, and dealing with the Duke’s crazed outbursts. Julian had no idea she was terrified for him, that she was convinced if they were found, Julian would be killed outright. No threats, no punishments or even tortures, just swords through the chest and gut, and left to die on the ground.

They waited until the sky darkened, and cautiously made their way back out onto the rabbit trail. Sneaking up to where the Inn was located, they both sighed a breath of relief when they saw the lantern in the window, burning brightly.

No moon lit the night sky this night, the clouds heavy. It was only a few minutes after they left the area of the Inn, that the sky opened up, and the rain poured from the heavens.

Julian raised his cloak, casting it over both himself and Sabrina, trying to shield them both from the weather, but the temperature lowered as well, until they could just begin to see their breath. They moved until they found the circle of rocks. Unable to stay too close by, they took shelter under a tree, trying to stay dry. Julian was dressed the better of the two of them, with his leathers repelling a great deal of the rain. Sabrina, however, was only in thin silks, and slippers. She started to shiver.

Thankfully, it wasn’t too long before Sabrina felt a faint surge of magic, and peering through the darkened night, saw the tree split, and open. Three figures appeared, to stand, cloaks and hoods up against the rain, peering out into the night, holding lanterns aloft.

She tugged Julian’s hand, pulling him forward, as she stepped out into their lantern light.

Seeing her approach, they pulled back slightly, wary. But a woman in thin silks and slippers was unlikely to be attacking. The one in front held his lantern up higher, casting it’s light on her face.

 _“State your name!”_ he called, trying to be heard over the hiss of the rain.

“I’m Sabrina Brackenridge!” she called back, not yet close enough to be able to speak properly.

The man smiled, “We’ve been expecting you. My name is Johan. I confess we didn’t know if you were going to make it.”

Julian came up to stand behind Sabrina, still trying to shield her with his cloak. The man in front turned, motioning them towards the gap in the tree, the path down, “Follow us. And welcome to the Bolthole. You’re safe now. We’ve heard a lot about you. I’m pleased to meet you, finally.”

They moved forward, Sabrina feeling relief welling up inside her. Finally....finally....they were safe. They would sleep and eat and in a few days, be back to Vesuvia, and be free. She turned, offering Julian a smile, and he returned it, squeezing her.

As they approached the gap in the tree, Julian marvelled, “This is amazing! I would never have thought there was something hidden here. You magic types are amazing.”

The three leading them towards the entrance all stopped, as if suddenly turned to lead. They spun around, looking intently at Julian, their eyes suddenly hard and suspicious.

“ _‘You magic types’_?” the leader, Johan, spoke.

Sabrina felt a sudden sinking in her stomach. They didn’t know Julian, and didn’t know his manner of speaking. She quickly started to explain.

“He doesn’t mean it that way. Julian doesn’t hate magicians, I swear.”

Blinking, suddenly realizing he was walking on extremely thin ice, Julian started to stammer, “Er.. _no_! Sorry! I didn’t mean...er...it came out wrong! I have nothing against _any_ magicians, at all! Ah...Asra is here, right? He can tell you I have no ill feelings against magicians. I think what’s going on here is disgusting-”

Johan interrupted him, “Are you _not_ a magician?”

Blinking again, Julian paused, “Er...no. I mean, I did cast a fire spell _once_ , that Sabrina helped me with, so I suppose technically I can do some magic, but...er...no...not in...ah....the way you’re thinking.”

There was silence, save for the hissing of the rain. Sabrina shivered again, and Julian looked down to her, worried.

Johan spoke again, his voice angry, “I’m sorry. Only magicians are allowed in the Bolthole. He can’t come in.”

Sabrina and Julian blinked, shocked.

“You... _what?_ ” Sabrina asked, her voice a little shrill, “What are you talking about? Julian’s no threat! Ask Asra! He won’t hurt anyone, or..or turn you in or something!”

“I swear on my life!” Julian agreed, “I’d _never_ do anything like that!”

“I don’t care,” Johan spoke again, his voice hard, “No non-magicians are allowed in the Bolthole. He can find somewhere else to stay.”

Sabrina started at him in shock. This couldn’t be happening.

“Come on,” Johan said, turning back to the entrance, “We need to shut this up again. This way, Miss Brackenridge.”

Sabrina drew herself up to her full – short – height, her voice icy, “No thank you.”

Johan turned around, anger on his face, just as Julian spoke, “Sabri-”

“No. If Julian can’t enter, then _I’m_ not either. This is pure _insanity_. Of all people, I expected Valdeer magicians to be more tolerant and understanding.”

Johan’s voice was like granite, “”You don’t understand what you’re talking about, Mis-”

“ _Don’t I_?!” she snapped, “I was just held against my will at Earlington’s estate. I was beaten, abused, threatened, had my lover threatened, had his _life_ threatened, nearly lost my mind, apparently, and you tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about? Blaming every non-magician for the Duke’s insanity is folly.”

Julian spoke, “Sabrina-”

“But it wasn’t just the Duke, was it?” Johan said, walking up to Sabrina, bearing down on her. Julian stirred, and attempted to step forward, alarmed, trying to step between Johan and her, but she pushed him back slightly, not allowing him. Johan and Sabrina stood less than a foot apart, each glaring at the other.

“It was all of Valdeer. No one stood up for us. Not _one single_ non-magician tried to save us.”

“I find that _very_ hard to believe. Not all magicians come from magician families. Non magic users can have magician children. Magicians can fall in love with non-magicians. You’re telling me entire families just stood by while their children, their parents, their friends and lovers vanished? Just because you didn’t see it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.”

“You’re foolishly naive.”

Sabrina wrinkled her nose in distaste, “I have six people in my life. _Six_. Only _one_ of them is another magician. _Four_ of them came to rescue me. The other two never had the chance. Don’t tell me I don’t know about the bonds between people.”

They glared at each other, the rain still hissing down around them.

Julian stirred, and spoke quietly, “Sabrina, go with them. I’ll be fine.”

Sabrina blinked, and turned, looking up at him, “ _What_? What are you talking about? No you won’t be fine, where will you go?”

“I’ve survived in the forest before, love. And there’s the Inn..”

Sabrina swung back to face Johan, then the other two, “Earlington will _kill_ him if he catches him. _Don’t you understand?_ Anyone that crosses him is his enemy, and Julian’s life is at stake!”

The two men behind Johan stirred slightly, looking at Johan’s back, then the ground, clearly uneasy.

“I’ll be fine,” Julian said again, turning her back to face him, “Sabrina, you’re shivering. You can’t stay out in this, you’ll get pneumonia. Go with them.”

“No. We stay together. You can’t stay out in this either, Julian, and the guards will visit that Inn, you know that. Just because you’re a doctor doesn’t mean you’re impervious to getting sick!”

“Sabr-”

“No.” She took his hand, “We stay together. _Bad things happen when we get separated, Julian._ Please don’t make me follow after you like a puppy because I _will_.”

He gave a sigh, clearly unhappy. Raising his hands, he cupped her face, “Alright. Let’s go to that Inn – I might be able to sweet talk them into letting us hide in their basement or something...at least we’ll be out of this.”

She nodded.

Casting a furious look back at Johan, they turned to leave.

“ _Wait_!” one of the other men called.

Julian, Johan, and Sabrina turned, looking back at him. Johan spoke, “Demiter?”

The other man, middle aged and looking pale, spoke, “Are...are you really a doctor?”

Julian fell silent for a second, then spoke, “Er...yes, I am.”

“Like...not just a snake oil seller? You’re a real doctor?”

Johan spoke, “Demiter-”

“Yes,” Sabrina spoke, curious, “He’s a real doctor. He has a clinic.”

“I have a clinic, yes,” Julian agreed, “Field surgeon, worked with the Red Plague...”

Demiter turned to Johan, and spoke, “Johan..... _Rebecca_.”

Johan shook his head, “No.”

“Joh-”

“ _Our healers are tending to her!_ ”

“They can’t do anything or they would have by now!” Demiter snapped, “She’s dying, Johan! This isn’t a cut or a burn. Something’s very wrong with her!”

“What...er....what’s going on?”

Stepping past Johan, Demiter spoke, looking up at Julian, “My niece. She’s in great pain. Vomiting, crying, screaming. We don’t know what’s wrong with her. The healer magicians have tried everything but healing magic only works on external wounds, like burns, cuts. This...whatever it is, it’s inside. She clutches at her side, screaming. Please....help us. She’s going to die. _She’s only sixteen._ ”

Julian’s eye had narrowed, and he turned fully towards the man, “What side does she grab? Where on her body?”

“Right. Down here.” The man touched an area on his low belly, to the right, just above where the leg meets the body.

“And the area, is it hot to the touch? But pressing against it takes the pain away?”

“Yes! You know! You know what it is?”

“I...I think. I need to examine her.”

Dimeter turned to Johan, “ _Let him in, for God’s sake!_ ”

Johan was about to speak, when Julian spoke up, “If it’s what I think it is, she will die without intervention. Let me see to her, please. For God’s sake, have guards follow me everywhere if you need, to make sure I don’t somehow set the place on fire, but I need to see that girl.”

The other man, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke, “Johan. Let him in.”

There was a pause, only the hissing of the rain, and then Johan spoke. His voice was furious, angry.

“It seems I’m being outvoted here. Fine.” He glared at Julian, “But I will have guards on you, yes, and one wrong move, and you are out of here, on your ass, do you understand me?”

“Clearly,” Julian’s voice was strained and angry as well, “Now can we get going? Time is short.”

 

Down into the Bolthole they went. Sabrina at least stopped shivering when they went in, the warmth of the dwelling heating her up soon enough, although she left wet, sodden footprints when she walked.

Johan was true to his word, instantly setting three guards on Julian, with direct orders to keep him in sight at all times. They seemed confused, and even more so when Johan explained they didn’t have to worry about any magical attacks on them – that Julian was not a magician.

To Sabrina, it seemed the guards were confused as to why they had to watch him. They did not seem to share Johan’s instant horror at discovering Julian wasn’t a magician, although they were curious as to what, then, he was doing there.

For his part, Julian seemed far more interested in getting to the sick individual, not even taking in his surroundings. A woman approached and asked if Sabrina wanted to change her clothing, but she refused, not wanting to be separated from Julian for any length of time. For some reason, she didn’t trust Johan.

They were led into the heart of the place, and up to a door. It was opened, and they went inside. Demiter had followed them, and he went directly to two people sitting near the head of a bed. Two women were gathered close to the person in the bed, their faces drawn and grey with worry. He started speaking to them in a low voice.

The young woman on the bed was clearly in distress. Her stomach seemed swollen on one side, and she was clutching at it, feebly moaning. There was a pan on the floor beside her, a small amount of vomit in it. She was drenched in sweat.

Julian shucked off his cloak, and slid off his gloves. He approached the young woman, smiling gently at her, and the two women at the head of the bed.

“Well now, you don’t look like you’re feeling very good at all. I’m going to give you an examination, if that’s all right? I’m a doctor, you needn’t worry about anything. Except I’ve been told my hands are a bit cold.”

Julian leaned over, lightly touching the young woman’s flushed face, pressing his palm to her forehead. He drew his fingertips down over her throat, feeling for her pulse.

Everyone else in the room was completely silent, all eyes on Julian. Julian, for his part, didn’t seem to notice anything other than the patient.

Removing his hands, he gently laid them on her stomach, sliding a palm over where she was holding her hand. A faint line of worry appeared between his eyebrows, “It hurts here, yes? Pressure, and pain? Like something’s trying to get out?”

“Yes,” the young woman, her blond hair soaked dark with sweat, groaned, “Like I might explode.”

“Have you been able to pass gas? And when did all this start?”

She shook her head, tears in her eyes, then spoke, “A few days ago. It was really light, just a twinge. Then the night before last-”

She jerked, her hand spasming. One of the women reached down for the pan, holding it out just in time for the young woman to vomit. She leaned back and weakly started to cry, “ _Am I dying?_ ”

One of the woman with her took a wet cloth and cleaned her face, as Julian spoke gently, “No, although it feels that way. I’m going to fix it. Just try to relax, and not move too much.”

He looked towards the two women, “Er....I want to speak to a parent or caregiver...”

The two women glanced at each other, and one rose. Julian turned, leading them away from the patient, and she followed. Demiter followed behind her.

When they were a short distance away, Julian turned. Sabrina moved up along side him so she could hear.

“ - very bad. What she has is lethal if it’s not treated. And it needs to be treated quickly.”

“What is it?”

“There’s an organ in the body called an appendix. No one really knows what it does, but it can become inflamed, and if it’s bad enough, it can rupture inside the body. If that happens, all the poison will seep into her, and she’ll die. And it’s...very painful.”

The woman started to cry, covering her face with her hands. Demiter put an arm around her, and looked at Julian, “And you can save her? You have medicine?”

“Er...no. There’s no medicine for this. The...er...the organ has to come out.”

The two of them stared in horror at Julian, and the woman spoke again, “How?”

“I...ah....er...I’ll operate. Take it out.”

“You want to cut open my baby!?”

Julian flapped his hands in alarm at her, “ _It’s all safe, I promise! I’ve done surgery before! She won’t feel a thing!_ ”

She looked at Demiter in fear, and he squeezed her, “Little sister, I think he’s right. He’s a doctor.” He looked sternly at Julian, “You said you’ve done surgery before?”

Julian nodded, “Yes! Both on and off the battlefield. Amputations, sword injuries, everything.”

Demiter and the woman looked at each other. The woman spoke, “And...she’ll die without it?”

Julian was silent for a moment, then spoke gravely, “She might not. The thing is...we have no way of knowing if it’s going to rupture or not. If it does....there’s nothing that can be done. We have no way of getting the poison out. She’ll die. With the surgery....if it can be done properly, and the appendix isn’t too badly swollen, it can be removed neatly and she’ll be fine in a few weeks. There is the risk that it could rupture as I’m taking it out. That’s something I won’t know until I have her open.”

Another look passed between the man and woman, and finally, she spoke.

“I trust you, Doctor. Please...save my little girl.”

Julian reached out, and took one of her hands, “I promise you, I will do everything in my power to do so.”

She started to cry again.

Turning to Demiter, Julian spoke, “I..er...don’t suppose this place is set up for surgery? There are things I’ll need.”

Demiter made a motion to some of the others who had been standing aside, listening. They moved in swiftly. Demiter turned back to Julian.

“Tell them what you’ll need. We’ll beg, borrow or steal.”

“Right. I’m going to need ether. It’s very important. Scalpels. Some sort of twine – preferably organic, tendon or the like. Any sort of suture needles or anything similar. They look like regular needles but they’re curved...”

Julian continued to list off what he felt he would need, including instructing the helpers to boil everything in water for at least ten minutes, to take it out and let it air dry on a clean towel. They nodded, and took off, planning on raiding doctor offices in the city, dentists, blacksmiths, anything that might carry what he needed.

It was only then Julian seemed to realize where he was, and he blinked at Sabrina comically for a minute. She smiled at him, taking his hand and squeezing it.

“This is going to be quite an adventure story to tell.”

He smiled at her, squeezing her hand back, “Won’t it though? You need to get dressed, Sabrina, you’re still wet.”

“We can take care of that,” Demiter said, as his sister went back to her daughter, “Come with me, we’ll find you something dry and comfortable. Are you hungry?”

She shook her head, looking back to Julian, “I’m going to come right back, ok?”

Julian was already turned slightly away from her, arms crossed as he studied the young woman on the bed. He gave a distracted, “Mm-hmm,” and nothing else.

Sabrina smiled.

She was led away by Demiter, to a small room just off the hall they had entered. Inside was a pile of general clothing neatly folded.

“These is clothing donated to us. Most of it is second hand, but clean and usable. Find anything that fits you, and then come back to the hospital.” He paused, “Is your friend really a surgeon?”

Sabrina was going through the piles of things, looking for something that looked her size. She paused, turning back to him, “He did a lot of work on the battlefield, and from what I’ve heard, he never lost many patients. I do know he successfully amputated a Count’s arm, right on the battlefield, and not only did he live, but infection never set in, and he lived a while after that. His death had nothing to do with the surgery.”

Sabrina paused, and spoke again, softly, “Julian has a gentle heart, and a nurturing nature. And despite seeming sort of....odd at times, he’s very good at what he does. I can promise you he’ll do everything possible to save your niece.”

Demiter took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, “Thank you. That...that’s all we can ask, really.”

He left, closing the door behind him.

Sabrina quickly dressed, pulling on the first things she found that fit. She ended up with a pair of simple shoes, a black skirt, and a dark green tunic that came down over her hips. The sleeves came a little past her hands, so she gave them a simple one roll. She tore the white lace edging from the silk gown she had been wearing, and used it to tie her hair back, out of her face. Feeling better in dry clothing, she opened the door and walked back out.

“Sabrina!”

Blinking, she turned, to see Asra walking quickly up the hallway towards her. Laughing, she moved towards him, “Asra!”

“Oh, it’s good to see you. Are you well?”

Sabrina reached out, taking his hands and squeezing them, “I’m fine now that Julian and I are out, and safe. Oh Asra, you shouldn’t have come – you could have been taken!”

He smiled, squeezing her hands back, “You think I would just leave my ex-apprentice captive?”

Dropping his hands, she crossed her arms, smiling, “All I know is I want to sleep for a week when we’re back home.”

Asra’s smile faltered faintly, “It...might be a while before we’re all home.”

Her own smile faded, “What do you mean?”

Asra looked around, then gently turned her, leading her back along the hallway. A short walk away, and they were in a large room with chairs and tables.

“The mess hall,” Asra explained, then sat, motioning for her to do the same. When she sank into the chair, Asra spoke softly.

“I don’t know how much you know, being captive in Duke Earlington’s mansion, but the magicians are getting ready to rise up. They’re going to fight back, to try and take Valdeer away from Puriew.”

Sabrina blinked, “Wait, you mean...like...”

“A civil war,” Asra said softly.

Sabrina leaned back against the back of the chair, staring at him in utter silence. Her mouth opened, then closed, as if she couldn’t properly form words.

“I...I mean....I can understand them wanting to be free, but....do they realize they’re going to be going up against soldiers? With weapons and shields and the like?”

“They know,” Asra pushed his hair back from his face with a hand, lavender eyes turning to her face, “I don’t think we’re going to be able to just....go home.”

“Why? We can make a portal here, can’t we? I mean, even if we can’t go all the way back to Vesuvia, we can get out of Valdeer, right? Into another country, and then maybe join a caravan or something?”

“I...I don’t know. Johan is....”

“Yes, I noticed,” Sabrina said, getting a reaction out of Asra. He blinked at her, then looked away.

“He’s done a lot for the people here.”

“I know,” she sighed, “I guess I’m just still irritated over the fact he wanted to refuse Julian.”

Asra blinked, “He _what_?”

“Haven’t you noticed there are apparently no non-magicians here? Johan said only magicians were allowed in the Bolthole.”

Asra fell silent, looking at the tabletop.

“I never noticed. I guess I just assumed everyone here was a magician because they were the ones who had to hide, but....what about family members?”

Sabrina fell silent, but shook her head, “Anyway, that’s not important. I’m just glad we’re here now. What about Portia, and Nadia? Are they alright?”

“Staying in an embassy, so yes. I’m talking to someone who goes outside a lot to get a message to them, let them know you’re both out.”

“Good.”

“So...what is Julian doing right now?”

“Getting ready for surgery, I guess.”

Asra looked startled, “Surgery?”

“There’s someone here who’s very sick. Something called an appendix? He has to take it out.”

Asra just stared at her for a moment, then started to laugh.

Sabrina blinked at him, “What’s so funny?”

Asra leaned back, smiling at Sabrina, “The two of you. No matter where you go, you always seem to get in trouble somehow.”

Sabrina smiled back at him, “Hey, don’t blame me for this. I’m innocent.”

“Are you hungry? There may be some food still left over.”

“I’ll wait until Julian is done, and eat with him.”

Asra and Sabrina spoke of everything they had encountered so far, comparing notes. He was upset when he heard about how Sabrina, and then Julian, were treated. Reaching out, Asra lightly touched her cheek, frowning, “He hurt you.”

“Well, it’s not hurting now, and pretty much all healed. But yeah it was....it was quite the shiner.”

“Excuse me, Asra?”

Sabrina and Asra turned to see Demiter walking towards them. Asra leaned back again, “Yes?”

“Could you come with me for a minute? The doctor wants to talk to you. You as well, miss.”

Asra frowned at Sabrina, who shrugged, and they both rose. Following Demiter back to the “hospital”, they found Julian there, directing people on where to go and where to put things. Spotting Asra, he called him over. Sabrina remained where she was, just outside the door, watching.

Asra and Julian were deep in discussion, Julian moving his hands about as they talked. She was about to go over and see what they were talking about, when someone behind her cleared his throat.

She turned to see Johan standing there. Instantly on guard, Sabrina gave him a polite nod – after all, they were hiding in his place.

“Can I speak to you for a second, Miss Brackenridge?”

“Of course!”

“We can just go to my planning room for a minute-”

“Actually, I need to stay here. Julian needs to talk to me for a minute.”

Johan paused. His lips thinned for a second, as if not exactly pleased to be told to wait, but said nothing. He looked past her, to where the others were gathered, all preparing under Julian’s direction.

“Is he really trustworthy to operate? Here?”

Sabrina tried to hide her irritation, “Yes. He’s a good doctor. He treated people who were dying with the Red Plague. He...caught it himself, but survived. He’s done field surgery. Some of his ideas can be a little strange, according to other doctors, but-”

“Strange?” Johan leaned forward intently, “What do you mean?”

“Er..well...Julian insists on having everything being completely clean. He heard a doctor one time talking about how easy sickness can survive on objects, so he is very clean over his instruments. Washes his hands a lot...other doctors think it’s foolish, but he doesn’t. And he’s yet to lose anyone to infection or the like.”

Johan seemed unimpressed, “I will have guards in there, watching. If they think he’s doing anything untoward-”

Sabrina snapped, “Are they doctors?”

“No-”

“Then how the _hell_ are they going to know if anything is “untoward”? What they’re going to do is watch him like a hawk, and anything they don’t understand, they’re going to interrupt him and possibly risk the girl’s life – _that’s_ what they’re going to do. Why let him do this at all if you’re going to suspect him?”

Johan’s face darkened in anger, but he said nothing.

“Despite how you feel about him, Julian wants to help her. It’s what he does, he’s a...a healer. He wants to help people, it’s why he became a doctor.”

“I do not trust easily.”

“That’s quite apparent.”

Johan scowled, “When you are finished helping him, please come see me. I need to talk to you.”

“All right.”

Sabrina sighed, raising a hand to rub her face.

Why was it so hard to just....go home? That was all she wanted. To just go home.

“Sabrina?”

She turned, to see Julian standing behind her. He had removed his eye patch, crimson sclera as vivid as always. He was holding it in both hands, looking unhappily at her. He flicked his eyes to where Johan was walking away up the tunnel, then back to her.

“Is...is everything alright?” he spoke uneasily.

Uncomfortable, but trying to put him at ease, she smiled, “Oh, everything’s fine. How about you? All ready?”

Julian said nothing, just continued to watch as Johan disappeared around a bend, before looking back. She wondered how much he had heard. When Johan vanished from sight, he looked back at her, and cleared his throat, “Ah...actually...I have to ask you a favour.”

She blinked, smiling, “You don’t need to ask, just tell me what it is.”

“Yes...well...er...” he stepped forward, and taking her hand, tucked it into the crook of his elbow, and turned her, walking with her along the hall. Sabrina blinked up at him.

“It’s...ah...always polite to ask anyway, after all,” he said, leading her to what appeared to be a little cranny in the tunnel, a small spot that had been roughed out, perhaps to allow large items being shipped to turn around without blocking the hall. There were a few crates there, one opened and full of pottery, the others left as they were. Julian led her over to one of these, and sat, gently pulling her to sit beside him.

His expression was starting to make her uneasy. He looked like he had terrible news to tell her.

Keeping her hand in his, he turned to her, looking earnestly at her.

“Are you alright now? You’re not cold, or...in pain or anything? Have you eaten anything?”

She spoke gently, “I’m fine, Julian. Warm, and fine. I’ll eat later, when you do. What is it you need me to do?”

He took a deep breath, “Well...ah....you see...I’m going to be operating on the patient...Rebecca....and well...usually when a surgery is taking place, there are nurses or other doctors there to assist. When I used to operate in the field, there were always others there to give me a hand.”

Sabrina started to get a cold feeling.

“-and...er..well...I’m...going to need your help.”

Sabrina stared at him, eyes wide, unable to believe what she was hearing. A part of her felt detached, like a separate person speaking.

“I...oh...no. No, I can’t.”

“Sabri-”

“You can ask _Asra! Asra_ will help!” she smiled at him, trying to be helpful.

He laid another hand over hers, holding it between both of his, “Asra is already going to be helping me. They couldn’t find any ether, so there would be no way of knocking the patient out. So Asra’s going to use magic to put her to sleep and keep her under while I operate.”

“ _I_ can do that!”

Julian fell silent for a moment, looking intently at her, “Sabrina-”

“Julian, I can’t. I can’t. I’m not a doctor, or a nurse!” panicked, she started to tremble faintly.

“You won’t be _operating_ , darling. All you have to do is hold on to things for me. I only have two hands, and I might need a third or fourth. That’s all. Just stand beside me in case I need you to hold onto something.”

“I might vomit,” she said weakly, still staring at him, eyes wide, “Julian what if I _vomit_? What if I vomit on the patient _when she’s cut open_? What if I throw up _inside_ her!?”

He smiled gently, squeezing her hand, “You won’t throw up, darling. I’ve seen you handle disgusting things before. You watched me lance Mr. Picket’s boil, and trust me, there is little more disgusting than that.”

“Jul-”

“Sabrina.” He raised her hand, and gently pressed his lips to the back of her hand, trying to calm her. He spoke again, softly, his eyes intent on her face.

“I understand you’re frightened. I _do_. But I need someone in there I can _trust_. They’re all going to be watching me like a hawk, to make sure I don’t do anything “dastardly non-magicianish”. I really don’t want one of them standing right beside me refusing to help me because they think the patient is bleeding a little more than they should be. They might start moving things, or trying to stop me. I need to be able to concentrate on what I’m doing, and not what the person next to me is doing.

 _I need you_ , Sabrina.”

Panic wanted to burst out of her like a bird from it’s nest. She wanted to run away and hide somewhere. She had no medical knowledge at all, and the thoughts of being depended on for such an important thing was terrifying.

Still wide eyed, she spoke in a whisper, “What if I mess something up and you get angry at me? What if I stick you with something sharp, or mess everything up and you think I...”

Julian stared at her, stunned. He reached out, gently touching her cheek with his fingertips, “Did I really hear you _say_ that? That I’d get _angry_ at you? For not knowing something you were never trained in? Sabrina. _No_. I won’t get angry at you, and I’d never think less of you. I love you. You’re the most amazing person I have ever met. Everything you’ve done, for me, and for others....no. That won’t happen.”

Sabrina lowered her head, staring at his feet. Despite his words, the thought of him looking at her, disappointed, because she did something ungodly stupid, twisted her insides. She still wanted to run.

But his voice.....and those words...

_I need you._

How could she say no to _that_? After _everything_ he had ever done for her. Going through pain alongside her when she bound the Devil. Trying a hundred times to drive her away in fear she’d be hurt. The knowledge that anything she asked of him, he’d do with everything he had....how could she say _no_ to _him?_

“Alright,” she said quietly, “But you promise if I make a mistake you won’t think I’m stupid.”

“Oh, love, no. No.” He pulled her in, sliding his arms around her, resting her head on his shoulder, “I could never think you’re stupid. The magic you do...the spells you cast....you are brilliant.”

She slid her arms around him, still trembling faintly.

He spoke, his voice in her ear, “Do you remember at the palace? When I was frightened, and upset. How you calmed me down?”

She was quiet, trying to remember.

“We....”

“Breathed. You made us breathe together.”

Silent, no other words spoken, they closed their eyes, each listening to the other’s heart, matching their breathing, until her shivers stopped, and she no longer felt panicked. Lifting her head, she smiled softly at him, “I wasn’t aware you were taking notes.”

He grinned saucily, “Darling, I am _always_ taking notes.”

 

He led her back to the hospital, hand in hand, glancing at her occasionally to make sure she still seemed calm. And while she didn’t feel actually calm, she at least was no longer panicking.

Inside, he explained how they’d wash up, and then he’d show her what he needed her to do.

“Just....don’t use any fancy medical terms for anything,” she begged.

“Dar-”

“Like, I know what a scalpel is, but for anything else, just be like.... “The really sharp small knife”. I’ll hand you the wrong thing.”

“You’ll be fine. You’re going to get bored, darling, honest. You’re just there as a third hand if I need it, and I likely won’t. That’s it.”

She took a shaky breath, then let it out, “Ok. I’m ready.”

 

When it was over, and she relaxed, she looked back on it as a blessing. One of two things happened during that time, that she always held close.

One was that Julian was right. She was fine. At first she was a little weirded out, knowing that she was standing right in front of someone who was being cut open. But she didn’t get sick, she didn’t panic, she did just fine, remaining calm through the whole thing.

The other blessing was seeing Julian in a whole new light.

The Julian that stood beside her was a completely different person. This Julian wasn’t hyper or easily excited. This Julian wasn’t panicky, didn’t stammer or stutter when worked up. He didn’t fidget or seem to have far too much energy in his long frame. His hands weren’t twitching, his fingers not tapping out strange rhythms.

This Julian was calm and quiet, amazingly focused and attentive. He seemed calm and relaxed, didn’t seem the least bit perturbed that he was cutting into someone. He moved with a grace that she only saw in rare moments between them, a gentle flourish that had nothing to do with performing or showing off but his own mannerisms. He didn’t seem to second guess anything he was doing.

When they had entered, Asra had already been in place, both hands on Rebecca’s head, her face smooth and calm as the magic held her under in a deep sleep where pain could no longer reach her. He gave Sabrina a quick smile of support, and then focused all his attention back on the patient.

Once Sabrina became used to what was going on, she started to find it all fascinating. She couldn’t see very well, and certainly wasn’t about to start leaning over, but when Julian finally placed the organ on a small plate and laid it on the tool table, she swallowed a little sickly. No wonder the young woman had been in such pain. She had no idea what it was supposed to look like, but it looked inflamed and sickly, swollen and red. There was a sickly hiss and smell of burning flesh as the point of removal was cauterized to prevent bleeding, and then Julian was sewing her back up. He cast her a quick smile, telling her she could leave if she wanted, but she remained, watching his long fingers work, making neat stitches.

After, Sabrina slipped out, going back to the area where they had washed up, and washed her hands, waiting for him. Julian and Asra came out a short time later, talking lowly to each other. From what Sabrina could gather, it had all gone perfectly, and Rebecca was now resting with her parents. Asra excused himself, and left, leaving Julian and Sabrina in the room together.

Julian removed his somewhat bloody shirt, throwing it into a trash can and started washing his hands.

“You did amazing, Sabrina. I told you you’d be fine.”

“I’m just thankful I didn’t throw up on her or something.”

“Pssh. You were very professional. Perhaps I’ll take you on as my assistant, hmm? Teach you to be a nurse.”

“I don’t think so. I like selling my herbs, thank you.”

“Ah, pity. I could find a truly adorable little outfit for you.”

Sabrina arched a brow, “Oh _really_?”

Julian blinked at her, and turned a faint pink, “I didn’t mean like that!” A second later, he grinned, arching one of his brows saucily, “Of course, now that you have me thinking about it...”

Sabrina leaned over towards him, leaning in, “ _Ohhhh?_ ”

He leaned in towards her, “Would you like the details?”

Returning his grin, Sabrina reached into the water he was washing his hands in, and dipped her finger, flicking them at him.

_“Aufpt!”_

She laughed, leaning back, “You can tell me tonight, how about that?”

He laughed with her, “Oh, I’m holding you to that.”

“You can hold me-”

“-Any way I like, yes,” he laughed, grabbing a towel and drying off his hands, still grinning, “I’ll hold you to _that_ , too.”

“Are you hungry? Let’s go get something to eat, I’m famished.”

“As soon as I find some clothing.”

 

A short time later, they were seated in the mess hall, talking to Asra, being brought up to date as Sabrina and Julian polished off large bowls of soup and home made bread. There was no coffee, sadly, but hot tea made up for it. The cooks were starting to get breakfast ready – it was turning towards morning.

“I’m glad to hear Pasha and Nadia are alright,” Julian said, sipping at the tea, “I was worried she might try to storm Earlington’s mansion all by herself.”

Asra laughed, “I wouldn’t put it past her, to be honest.” He looked at Sabrina, “Didn’t Johan say he wanted to talk to you?”

“I’ll talk to him later. It’s so late now...or early. He’s probably asleep.” Sabrina smothered a yawn herself.

Julian frowned at Asra, “Did he say what he wanted?”

Asra shook his head, leaning back in his chair, taking a drink of his tea, “No. I’m guessing just that...it’s just to bring her up to date on what’s going on? They all seemed very concerned about her, here.”

Julian took another drink, gazing at the tabletop in silence for a moment, thinking. Many magicians knew about her...at least, knew about a magician that had bound The Devil, even if they didn’t mention her name directly. Or did they? It was all so confusing, and he was winding down. Exhaustion was creeping up on him.

“It’s good you’re both out, Julian,” Asra said, “Sabrina was telling me Earlington was....a terrible person.”

“Terrible doesn’t really cut it,” Julian grated. He glanced towards Sabrina, and blinked.

She was still sitting up, but her head was down, chin almost touching her chest. Eyes closed, she was completely asleep.

Asra smiled, and rose, “I’ll go find someone who will take you to a place to sleep. I’ll be right back.”

Julian smiled his thanks, then gently reached out and took ahold of Sabrina’s shoulder. She gave a jump, head popping up, eyes wide, “Uh!”

“Easy!” he gently squeezed, “We’re ok. In the Bolthole. You’re falling asleep, dear.”

She raised her hands, rubbing at her face, “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize – it’s been a long night for both of us, only I’m used to it.”

“Where’s Asra?”

“Gone to find someone to show us to sleep.” He planted his palms on the tabletop and levered himself up to his feet. Sabrina stood, smothering another yawn.

“Ah, here you are. I hear you’ve had an exciting night,” a newcomer approached, a tall thin woman, dressed in orange cottons; breeches, tunic and cape. She was a walking citrus, and the brightness of her clothing dragged Sabrina to a more wakeful state.

“Follow me,” she beckoned them with a finger, and they fell in behind her.

Quietly, fighting off fatigue, Julian and Sabrina were led up one corridor and down another, until finally they came to a small, dimly lit corridor. Curtains were pulled across in regular spaces along the walls, attached to curtain rods on both the top and bottom so the material was kept taut. They continued to follow the woman, until she led them to an area where one of the curtains were pushed back, revealing the inside.

It was a rounded room, hewn from the rock a little roughly. A mattress filled with straw lay on the floor, covered by a blanket. Several blankets were neatly folded at the bottom. Small regular holes were carved into the walls, creating little shelves. In one of these was an oil lamp, until. The woman reached in, and making a soft motion with her hand, lit the lamp. It gave off a soft, warm glow.

“Here you are. These are the married quarters. Each room has a privacy spell cast on it, so no sound can escape once the curtain is closed, and the curtain can be hooked here....and here....for that privacy. You will hear sounds from outside, though, so we ask everyone to be quiet and considerate when walking through.”

With a faint smile on her face, indicating she already knew the answer, but had to make appearances, she asked, “The two of you _are_ married, yes?”

 _“Extremely,”_ Julian answered swiftly, slipping an arm around Sabrina and resting his hand on her hip, “Ah...newly. We’re waiting on the rings from Trayton, aren’t we darling?”

“Trephoria,” Sabrina smiled.

Julian looked sheepish, “Right, yes.”

The tall woman looked away, trying to hide a laugh, then looked back, her lips twisted faintly as she fought to appear professional, “Very well, then. This one is yours. Try to remember where you are, so you don’t get lost.”

“Thank you,” Sabrina said softly.

The woman turned, making her way back up the hallway. Sabrina and Julian turned, looking into the little cave-like room in silence for a moment. To Sabrina, the straw filled mattress looked like heaven.

Julian had to duck faintly when he passed in through, and once Sabrina was in, he pulled the curtain across, hooking the edge on a series of latched hooks. Sabrina literally felt the spell weave into effect when the curtain was hooked.

“That’s a neat spell,” she said, “I’m going to have to learn how to do that.”

She eased herself down onto the mattress, groaning in bliss as she sank into it, “I never knew straw could be so comfortable.”

Julian eased his long frame down beside her, “Better than sleeping in a tree, hmm?”

“Much better.”

Julian started to undo his jacket and cloak, and blinked at her in confusion when he saw her laying out a blanket at the bottom of the mattress, on the floor. She curled it up, fluffing it slightly.

Realizing what she was doing, he spoke gently, “You don’t need to do that, love.”

“This mattress isn’t long enough for you,” she chided, “You need a comfortable place to put your feet.”

“Oh Sabrina.”

She smiled at him.

They shucked off shoes, and stretched out, pulling one of the blankets up around them. They instinctively took their old positions; Sabrina on her left, Julian on his left, curled around her, his arm curled about her, their hands touching.

They were quiet, just delighting in the feel of each other, the touch. Both were far too exhausted to want to do anything more than sleep.

Sabrina felt Julian press his cheek gently to the back of her shoulder. Even though they were in a privacy spell, they spoke softly, quietly.

“I was starting to fear I’d never get to lay with you like this again...”

Sabrina curled her fingers into his, “It feels like a year ago, we were in our own bed. Now here we are, so far away.”

“Hmmm.”

As they slipped into sleep, Julian remembered something that happened a few nights after he had first moved in. He had come back from finally getting the clinic ready.

 

He walked into the shop, starting to undo his cloak, walking towards the stairs that separated the store from the upstairs. Vaulting up over the stairs, he stood in the little general hall area, peering into the kitchen, "Sabrina? Are you home?"

"Up here in the bedroom," she called out, "Come up, I need you."

Julian blinked, face turning a bright crimson. He looked towards the smaller set of stairs leading to the bedroom. Lurching forward, he was attempting to kick off his boots as he went, half stumbling and staggering as he went, undoing the buttons on his jacket. One boot discarded, he managed to kick off the other as he made his way up the stairs, and shrugged off his jacket as he leaned in through the bedroom archway, the curtains tied back.

He paused when he saw her pushing around furniture, seemingly trying to rearrange something. His face fell slightly, "Ah."

She looked up at him, and burst out laughing, "Something _else_ on your mind?"

His blush darkened, "Er...."

She gave him a saucy wink, "Later tonight. Right now, I want you to just stretch out on the bed for me, please. On your back."

Curious, Julian did as she asked, crawling onto the bed and stretching out on his back. As usual, his feet hung off the end of the mattress from the ankles down. He folded his hands under his head, gazing up at the ceiling, "What...ah...what exactly am I doing?"

"Modelling. Lift your feet."

Lifting his head and peering down at her, he lifted his legs, watching as she slid a small trunk into place at the end of the mattress. Lying on top of the trunk were a series of folded blankets.

"Put your feet down."

He did, his feet resting on the blankets.

Sabrina peered at him, looking from his face to his feet, "How does that feel? Comfortable? Roll over onto your side."

More and more curious, Julian rolled onto his left side, arching a brow at her, "What on earth are you doing?"

She crossed her arms, "You're too tall for the mattress, Julian. Your feet stick off. That can't be comfortable, and it's going to be cold in the chillier months. I already checked around, there are no mattresses around here long enough for you, so for now, I put this together. Is it comfortable? Do you think you need another blanket?"

Julian stared at her in silence for a moment, too dumbstruck to form words. She had looked into taller mattresses....had put this together? For him? Just so his feet...?

"It's wonderful," he said softly, "Perfect."

"It's comfortable? Honest?"

"I love it. Thank you."

She beamed happily, and he reached out, taking her hand and pulling her in to settle against him.

 

Julian smiled against her shoulder, listening to her breathing slow, as she was already sinking into sleep.

They said nothing else, just sank down into oblivion, sliding into an exhausted sleep. They remained curled together for nearly the remainder of the night.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past, a search for freedom, a mother's son

The sounds of the Bolthole coming to life is what woke him.

Julian came out of sleep slowly. He could tell by the hot feeling in his muscles he was going to be sore today, and for a moment, couldn’t remember why. Eyes closed, stretched out to his full length, swimming in that half sleep half wakefulness area, he tried to figure out why he was sore and why the mattress felt odd.

Opening his eyes, he was instantly confused as to where the bedroom had gone, and why he was now staring at what appeared to be a rock wall.

Despite being groggy, he was suddenly transplanted right back to the present situation; in the Bolthole after escaping from Earlington’s mansion with Sabrina. The chase on horseback, explaining his developing soreness – the operation, explaining his odd dreams, and sleeping in the small rock cut tiny bedroom.

He wanted coffee.

This mattress not at all bouncy like their old one, he could move a bit and not worry about waking Sabrina. He rolled over to see if she was there.

A slow smile formed on his face.

Sabrina lay sprawled on her back, arms and legs thrown every which way, a mess of hair over her face, lightly puffing up with each breath. She had kicked off her blankets at some point in the night, and was snoring.

She looked like he felt.

Carefully reaching out, he gently used a finger to hook her hair, pulling it away from her face so she wouldn’t somehow inhale it, and rested his head back on the pillow, content to just watch her sleep. He pushed away the desire to curl around her, snuggle, as he didn’t want to wake her up. She was deep asleep, and he knew she was exhausted.

The last few days had been....insane. Julian wasn’t even sure if this would make it to the collection of his stories of derring-do and adventure. This week had been more upsetting, traumatic and stressful than any of his other ones. The escape on horseback might do, he thought, and escaping from the Duke’s mansion, but....little else. Most of everything else that had happened was too hurtful, too sore and....personal. Something to be put away.

Sabrina snorted slightly.

Trying not to laugh, his gaze moved across her profile, taking in her lashes, her lips, the curve of her throat. As cheesy as it sounded, sometimes he still found himself wondering how she had ever fallen for him. He was so...long, so white, so...odd. All limbs and nose and one red eye....

Despite his flirting, despite his joking manner of talking about being handsome, Julian had grown up being told by the other children that he wasn’t attractive. He didn’t look like any of the others – their dark skin and darker hair, and he stood out like a sore thumb. Pasha had been short and cute, while he had had just been...gangly.

“Like a white spider”, one kid had said.

Watching her sleep, he had remembered the night their relationship had gone from casual to more intense. He had told her he loved her, and she had told him the same, but he later worried it might have been the stress of the moment, a feeling they might not make it. He had been afraid to push himself any more. He hadn’t wanted to intrude on her, for fear she might get tired of him. The first night she had asked him if he was staying over, he had eagerly accepted – so eagerly he had embarrassed himself and blushed crimson – but their first night together in bed had been more than he could have imagined. Their first time physical they had been in Death’s domain, on a little sloop, but this was somehow different. This was more real, somehow. Their first time had been a little rushed, the both of them eager for the touch of the other, a strong need for intimacy, knowing they were going to face The Devil. There had been love of course, yes, but it had seemed more frantic.

In her bed, in her house, they had time. They were relaxed, and were able to take their time. To tease and delight. To playfully torture and truly investigate each other’s bodies. Julian had taken great pleasure in finding out just how much of her body was covered in freckles, and had been delighted to discover she was covered everywhere.

Some nights he hadn’t been able to stay – things had been going on. Nadia would sometimes call on him if someone in the palace was ill, or Sabrina herself was working on a spell and didn’t want to be distracted. Julian never pressed, and never asked to stay – he always let Sabrina invite him. It was always her call. If she never brought it up, he let it go. Secretly disappointed, but that was all.

Once, and once only, did he invite her to stay at his small apartment. He had never realized just how...lonely it was. How dark and dreary, until she stepped inside, a burst of color. He had, after all, only returned to Vesuvia to die. He hadn’t been concerned about the state of his place. Sabrina, however, had clearly been upset by it, saddened he had been living there with no hope for the future. No plants. No color. No decorations...no life. He never invited her back, now somewhat embarrassed of his small place. They would meet in her place, a place of warmth and happiness.

 

One night, after they were curled around each other, her back to his chest, their breathing settling, skin against skin, he spoke. His voice was somewhat hesitant, unsure.

“So, I...ah...I’ve been thinking.”

“Oh?”

“I...I want to start up a clinic. Here, I mean. In Vesuvia.”

Her voice, when she spoke, held a broad smile, “That’s wonderful! Vesuvia can always use another doctor, and it’ll do wonders for you to start being busy. You can’t drink in the Rowdy Raven all the time.”

He faintly laughed, “Right. Yes. Well...er...I, ah...I’ve been looking around for places. There’s this place over on Rosefall Way. Do you know of it?”

She was silent a moment, then spoke, “The small blue place?”

“That’s the one. I’m not sure if it would work or not...”

“Hmmm. It’s kind of small. I mean, I don’t know how much room you’d need.”

“Well....a waiting room, then other rooms for the patients...and a larger one for any potential surgeries....”

“I don’t think the blue place is big enough for that.”

“Oh. Hmm.”

He absently raised a hand, resting his palm against the front of her shoulder, lightly stroking her skin with a thumb, “What about the brick place there on Water Street? It’s a bit far from my place to walk, but it’s doable...”

“Water Street...I don’t know, Julian. That place can flood sometimes when there’s a storm, and it gets pretty cold in winter.”

“Drat.”

She stirred, sounding sleepy, “The place next door is for sale. It’s pretty big inside, has a natural divide you could use for the waiting room.”

He paused, lips resting against her shoulder. A place next door would be....very nice. He could visit her a lot...

“It’s a bit far away from my place, though. Does it...er....have a place over head? Like this?”

“Well...no.”

“Oh.”

“But I mean, you don’t _need_ to live nearby, do you?”

Julian fell silent.

She spoke again, “I mean...I just assumed you were going to sell your place and move in here.”

Utter and complete silence.

When no answer was forthcoming, Sabrina tensed slightly, and turned, looking back at him, “I mean...if you _wanted_ to.”

Julian stared at her, mouth slightly open. His face was flushed, but it was a very light pink, almost unnoticeable. He was just staring at her, like he wasn’t sure if he had hard her correctly.

“I’m sorry,” she said, starting to look upset, “I didn’t mean....I mean if you’re uncomfortable with the thought we can look for a place closer for you.”

He found his voice, “You....you want me to move _in_ with you?”

She hesitated, then reached up, gently cupping his cheek, turning red herself, worried she she overstepped herself, “I...well...yeah. I mean, I just thought....it would be a natural progression, and....I mean you stay over, so I didn’t think it would upset you-”

“No! No, I’m not upset!”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes! I’m sure! Very sure! I just....I didn’t think you’d want....”

She frowned, “I’d what?”

He said nothing, just looked at her, halfway between miserable and adoring.

Sabrina finished softly, “Want you around all the time?”

He said nothing, looking away.

“Hey. Look at me.”

She cupped his face in her hands, waiting until he dragged his gaze back up to her face, “I _want_ you around. _All the time._ I love you. You’re a wonderful person, and I don’t know why you think otherwise. You _deserve_ to be happy, andI want to be happy, and I’m happy with you. So. Will you move in with me? Please?”

Julian opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She was a little alarmed to see the glimmer of tears, corners of his mouth trembling faintly, but he quickly dropped his head, resting his forehead against her chest.

_“I’m sorry. I’m such a mess,”_ he apologized weakly.

“Hush. You’re not a mess. You have emotions, and I’d rather this than some over stuffed emotionless “I’m so tough I can handle everything with a sneer and a quip” person. And you didn’t answer me.”

“Yes,” he whispered, “Yes. Gladly.”

He heard her smile in her words, and felt her gently rest her hand on the back of his head, toying with his hair, “Good. You’ll sell your place, buy the place next door, move in with me, and we’ll live happy ever after. I like a good plan.”

He laughed.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

He watched her sleep, feeling those emotions shift through him again, like a tide. Since he had been with her, he had changed, and for the better. He was getting more in control of his emotions – affection didn’t make him want to cry anymore, so he felt less embarrassed when it happened. She was helping him become stronger, speak out more, let her know when he wanted something – both in and out of bed. While he knew he would always be more than content just following her around, just in the amount of time he had known her, he had gotten stronger.

_I love you, Sabrina Brackenridge. So much._

_But my God I need to pee._

He cautiously rolled off the straw mattress – Sabrina mumbling something and rolling over before starting to snore again. He quickly snagged his boots, jacket, eyepatch and cloak, and slipped out past the curtain, rehooking it again behind him.

He tugged on his boots, eyepatch and jacket, hung his cloak over his arm, and went in search of a bathroom. When that was taken care of, he found some wash basins and cleaned up. No mirror, he felt his face, but felt comfortable enough not yet needing a shave. While his hair was thick, his beard seemed to prefer coming in slower. At least it gave him time to try and find a razor around here. Stepping outside, he caught the wonderful, alluring, temptress ambrosia scent of coffee, and followed it like a bloodhound, until he returned to the mess hall.

There weren’t a lot of people there – he had no idea what time it was, there being no sunlight down in the caves, only lanterns and the magical light the magicians made. His nose, however, carried him to the end of the messhall where they were handing out food. He eagerly took a tall mug of coffee, and decided on a plate of eggs, knowing Sabrina would ask if he had eaten. Turning to find a place to sit, his attention was caught by none other than Asra waving to him.

He walked over, putting the things on the table, and folding his long legs as he sat. Before he even said a word, he picked up the mug of coffee and took a long pull, closing his eyes in appreciation.

“Oh my God that’s heaven right there in a cup.”

Asra laughed.

“How did you both sleep last night?”

“Like the dead,” Julian answered, taking a bite of the eggs. He was oddly hungry, “I want to check on Rebecca shortly.”

“I’m no doctor, but I hear she’s doing very well,” Asra said, crossing his arms and leaning back, smiling. His own empty place and mug sat before him, Faust licking lightly at some leftover egg yolk. Julian kept an eye on her as he ate.

“Oh?”

“The whole place is buzzing about you,” Asra smiled.

Julian blinked at him, “Me?”

“Yes. The non-magician doctor who arrived in the nick of time to save the young girl. Dashing, handsome, mysterious, they’re calling you.”

Julian grinned, “Glad to see I’m still dazzling them.”

Asra’s smile faded slightly, “Johan was here earlier, looking for Sabrina.”

Julian swallowed the last bite of egg, pushing his plate back slightly, frowning. He took another drink of coffee, then met Asra’s eye.

“Is he...er...going to be trouble, Asra?”

Asra frowned as well, shaking his head, “I....I don’t know. I don’t know why he _would_. I haven’t seen him do anything bad or wrong since I arrived here. He seems genuinely concerned about the magicians here. I’m not...comfortable...with his talk of civil war.”

Julian leaned back in his chair, eyeing Faust as she slithered over to his plate, starting to clean up any leftover egg yolk, “I can certainly understand him wanting to take Vesuvia back. This was their country too. It should be stopped.”

Asra reached out and toyed with his empty mug, “Yes, but....it seems to me he might be looking for more than just....justice.”

Julian narrowed his eye, “Revenge?”

Asra looked around guiltily, leaning in some. Julian leaned in as well.

“Yes, revenge. And...I don’t know. I’m just worried. A lot of these people aren’t soldiers, Julian. I mean, yes they’re magicians, and they can fight, but....it takes more than the _ability_ to fight to fight. You have to...you have to...”

“Have meaning,” Julian finished, “Be able to fight. To hurt someone. To...kill.”

“Yes.....and....I’m....nervous about Sabrina.”

Julian sat up a little straighter, “What do you mean?”

Sighing, Asra ran his hands through his white hair, pushing it back from his face for a minute, “He asked to talk to me. I went to his...meeting room, I guess you could call it....and he started asking me questions about her.”

“What kind of questions?”

Worried, Asra’s gaze moved to Faust, watching her as her small tongue rippled over the plate. “He knows she bound the Devil. Just about every magician now knows someone did it, but not everyone knows who. Johan does. He wanted to know how she was caught if she’s so powerful, what Earlington wants with her. Wanted to know what would happen if he had to fight against her – remember, this was before she escaped and might have been used against him. And....if she would fight for them.”

Julian leaned back again, his stomach churning.

Why was all this happening? All this stress, this drama, this trauma....it was supposed to be over now. They deserved peace and quiet! Why were they escaping one thing just to get caught in another?

But that brought something straight to his mind, and he spoke.

“Er...Asra....when we were in Earlington’s....something happened with Sabrina.”

Asra sat up a little straighter, “What do you mean?”

“It was when he was....hurting us....and Sabrina cast some sort of spell. It was very powerful, and violent, and it....it almost killed her.”

Asra was looking at Julian in horror, “What spell? What do you mean?”

“I don’t know what it was, Asra, I’m not familiar with magic! She was....Earlington was...he had driven a small dagger into me...”

Julian reached up, lightly touching where the scar was forming. He had been able to bandage it before the party, but it still hurt from time to time. He noticed Sabrina looking at the injury when he changed his clothing, but she said nothing, and he didn’t want to bring it up.

“I heard one of Earlington’s goons call out to him, and then there was this...explosion of heat. Everyone was knocked flat on their ass....one guy was still slightly on fire.”

Asra leaned forward, “She cast this while wearing the collar?”

“Yes. And it...it nearly killed her...” Julian tightened his fingers around the mug, lifting it and draining it completely. Excusing himself for a moment, he rose, and went back to the serving area to beg another cup. When he returned, seating himself again, he kept his eyes on the black liquid, “She...er...was knocked out cold. Bleeding from the ears and nose. I...ah....”

He swallowed hard, “I thought she was dying.”

Asra remained silent, horrified.

Clearing his throat, taking another deep gulp of the hot coffee, Julian spoke again, still keeping his gaze on the liquid, “When she cast the spell, she didn’t....” he made a vague finger wiggle towards Asra, “She didn’t use her hands at all. I notice it’s something she always does, but this time she didn’t. And there was no emotion on her face. At all. Her face was blank. And she has no memories of casting, Asra. None. I don’t know if it was the damage done to herself....”

He took another drink. Taking a deep breath, he pushed on.

“The Duke was talking to me before this happened, and he said that Sabrina had great skill. That she was very powerful, but that she hadn’t been taught, not really. I mean, I know _you_ were her master and that you taught her, but....I mean...what did he mean?”

“Ilya, I don’t like talking about Sabrina when she’s not here. It’s like...gossiping about her.”

“I _know_ , Asra, I _do_. But I need to _help_ her, and I can’t if I don’t know what’s going on.”

When there was no answer, Julian dragged his eyes from the coffee, and looked up at Asra.

Asra sat back in his chair, his dusky skin so pale he looked grey. He had a hand to his face, covering his mouth, his eyes fixed on Faust intently. The little snake had turned around, and was looking back at her master, unmoving.

Alarmed, Julian leaned forward slightly, reaching out a hand, “Er....Asra?”

Slowly, Asra lowered his hand, his lavender eyes wide as he moved his gaze from Faust to the table top.

At first, Julian had thought Asra was concerned over what had happened, or was talking to Faust. That perhaps the little snake was telling him something was going on, and it was upsetting her master. But as Asra turned his gaze away completely, Julian was suddenly struck with the very uncomfortable realization that was Asra was hearing wasn’t new.

He was familiar with this.

And distraught.

Lowering his hand awkwardly, Julian spoke again, “You....you _know_ about this, don’t you?”

Still looking at a spot on the floor, Asra gathered himself to speak. Nervously licking his lips, he opened his mouth, then shut it, then opened it again.

“Yes. I do.”

There was a very long silence. Julian took another gulp of his cooling coffee, waiting as patiently as possible for the other to start speaking. When more and more minutes passed by, he finally roused himself, and spoke again.

“Well?”

Asra raised a hand, pushing back his hair, and Julian grew more alarmed to realize Asra’s hand was shaking slightly.

“I...I knew Sabrina from a long time ago. We were pretty young when we met. And she was.....she was the most powerful magician I ever knew. Her magic was far beyond what it should have been at her age. Between her and the Arcana Magician, I learned a _lot_.”

“Huh. I didn’t...wait.” Julian leaned forward, “Sabrina taught you? But she was your apprentice!”

Asra kept his gaze from Julian’s face, “Yes...when she came back. After she died. She had to relearn everything. How to walk, how to talk, how to feed herself. And her magic. Before that....”

Julian stared at Asra in utter shock, “ _You_ were _her_ apprentice!?”

Asra nodded.

Julian gawked.

Asra spoke, “It was how I was able to teach her magic so quickly. Technically, Ilya, she’s only four years old. She forgot everything when she came back. She should only be at a 10 year old’s level of magic. But we worked together for so long, I learned how her magic worked. So I was able to....push it into her faster.”

Julian just stared, stunned.

“Her magic was strong. So very very strong.”

Asra leaned forward, hands in his hair, resting his elbows on the table. His voice was hushed and strained, emotional and upset.

“She taught me many things. Helped me master a lot. But....sometimes...she...”

Silence.

Julian leaned forward, “She what?”

“She could get angry. Not at me – never at me. Never at anyone she cared about. But it was like there was this....”

He fell silent again. Julian cursed under his breath, then snapped, “ _Will you tell me?”_

Asra looked up, now meeting Julian’s eyes, and there was anger in the lavender depths, “You won’t believe me, Ilya. You don’t understand magic as it is!”

“Just tell me, and let _me_ decide if I believe you or not! This is about Sabrina, not me!”

Asra cursed, then spoke, “Sometimes it was like there was something else inside her. Some sort of...unknown person.”

Julian squinted, “You’re saying she was _possessed?”_

_“Dammit!”_ Asra leaned back angrily, crossing his arms, “I told you you would-”

“Then what did you mean?”

The voices of the two were growing, anger surfacing in both of them, one treading in an area he disliked, the other desperate for information.

“No, not possessed! Not like that, just like....like there were two people in there. Always. And one slept most of the time. But now and then one would wake up. And do things. It was still her. It was like she had a twin. One that was more destructive.”

Silence.

“And you think that when she cast this spell, this...other person did it?”

Asra looked drained, “When Sabrina would do something like that...attack...strike out....she would get very weak. And she couldn’t ever really remember doing it.

I had thought....I had _prayed_....when she came back, that part of her was gone. That it had died completely. Because I never felt it when I was teaching her. Not even when we were facing The Devil.”

There was silence for a moment, then Julian spoke again, “So....what do I do, Asra? Should I tell her? Should I-”

“No!” Asra looked frightened, and shook his head, “No. Don’t.”

“I can’t just keep secrets from her. It’s not exactly healthy in a relationship.”

“I don’t think she’s ready to know yet, Ilya. Just....don’t let her get really angry. Really, really angry. She....she listens to you.....” Asra fell silent for a moment, a shadow passing over his face, “She listens to you, and she’ll calm down if you tell her.”

Julian sighed, “I’ll do what I can....”

They were silent for a moment, and then finishing his coffee, Julian spoke again.

“Er...I ah....I never did...get a chance to thank you....”

Asra looked up at Julian, confused. He still looked drained, more grey than normal, “Thank me?”

“Well....I mean, I know you didn’t do it for me, not at all, but....what you went through...to bring her back. I remember bits of...well...before Lucio died, and I remember how driven you were. Didn’t know why at the time, of course, but...if it weren’t for you, Asra...I would never have been saved. She saved me, you know. From a lot of things, not the least myself.”

Asra looked uneasy, and he just shrugged, giving a weak smile.

Smiling in return, Julian spoke, “She must have been a good master, for you to go through all that. You must have been very close.”

Asra flicked his gaze to the plates on the table, going even paler. He pushed back his chair and rose, gathering up the plates, “I have a lot to get started on today. Sorry to run.”

Scooping Faust up, he walked over to the end of the messhall, laying the plate and cup on the washing shelf, and slipped out the door, swiftly.

Frowning, worried, Julian watched him leave. He had clearly said something to upset Asra – the emotions that flickered over his face were too strong for it to have been his imagination. What could he have said that would have garnered that reaction?

He fought off the urge to go after him and apologize, looking back down into his nearly empty mug. He had only thanked him for bringing Sabrina back. And he had been honest, he knew Asra hadn’t done it for him, but still. 

Sighing, Julian pushed himself to his feet, and went to check on his patient.

 

Sabrina awoke with a start, reaching towards where Julian had been lying beside her. Her dreams had been full of endless corridors, and somewhere, in one of the rooms, she knew Julian was there, getting ready to sacrifice himself for some insane but noble purpose. She had to find him, and stop him. All the rooms had a version of him, back before she knew him, after she met him, and other strange versions of him. In one he was a strange bird creature, half covered in black feathers. Some of the rooms had Earlington there, waiting for her, and she could feel the collar around her throat burning white hot, searing her. He’d reach for her, laughing.

Reaching one room, she managed to grab the door handle and pull, and that was when she came to with a jerk.

Blindly reaching for him, she felt a moment of panic, before she saw his side of the bed was rumpled, the blankets at the end of the mattress rumpled as well, and realized he had slept there, and had simply risen before her, as usual.

She stretched in bed, letting her heart rate slow, before finally sitting up again, and reaching for her shoes.

Sabrina managed to find the same bathroom Julian had visited earlier, and she took care of her morning routine as well. She also followed her nose, the smell of toast calling her as hypnotically as the coffee had for Julian, and half an hour later found her seated at a table, empty plate before her, finishing off her last gulp of tea.

_I really need to find Julian_ , she thought, _He kind of...gets into trouble on his own. And he’s surrounded by some very jumpy magicians._

“Miss Brackenridge.”

Sabrina blinked, looking up from her empty plate, to see Johan standing before her, a steaming cup in his hand.

“Ah. Good morning,” she decided on trying to be nice. Last night was hectic for everyone, “I’m sorry I didn’t catch up to you last night, but by the time the surgery was over, it was so late, I assumed you were asleep.”

He surprised her by smiling, “Actually, I rarely sleep.”

Sabrina smiled back, “I seem to be surrounded by people like that.”

“May I join you?”

“Please.”

He sat one chair away from her, leaving a polite distance between them. Lightly toying with the mug in his hands, he spoke, “I..ah...apologize for last night. I was short with you, and it was uncalled for.”

“I think everyone was upset last night. Our escape, Rebecca....let’s just start over.”

“A good idea. I’m Johan Ableman.”

“Sabrina Brackenridge. Pleased to meet you.”

He smiled at her, leaning back slightly in his chair, then spoke, “I’m also sorry you were forced to come to Valdeer. I never expected Earlington to go to such lengths....”

Sabrina leaned back as well, toying with her nearly empty cup, “He was very driven, apparently.”

“Most villains are.”

She paused for a moment, then spoke, “Do you have any idea why he’s making that....that army of spiders? What’s it for? I don’t understand.”

Johan studied her face in silence for a moment, vivid green eyes fixed on hers. After a moment, he spoke, “He never told you. He just...put you to work. I shouldn’t be surprised...”

Sabrina snorted, “He never told me much of anything. Why does he need an army? Is Valdeer going to be invaded?”

A corner of his mouth quirked in a bitter smile, “Yes. By Earlington.”

Sabrina blinked.

Shifting in his chair, Johan spoke again, “There are two powerful men in Valdeer. Puriew, and Earlington. Puriew conquered Valdeer, to “liberate” it from the previous bloodthirsty family. Everyone put their hopes on him. He seemed....a good sort.

You understand he never actually fought himself. Puriew is very old, but carries a great deal of respect of some very powerful people. He single handedly raised a massive army to invade, and let them do the fighting. When the dust and blood settled, he walked into the throne room and sat on the throne.

And never moved much after that.

Earlington was his second in command.”

Sabrina frowned, “He doesn’t seem like a military person.”

Johan snorted, “He’s not. But like Puriew, he carried a great deal of respect. And he worked closely with many magicians.”

Now Sabrina leaned forward, eyes wide, _“Earlington?!”_

“One and the same. He commanded the magicians that fought for Puriew.”

“But he _hates_ magicians!”

Johan merely smirked, and kept going.

“When Valdeer was finally conquered and in Puriew’s command, the dividing of the spoils started, as always happens in any war. Fights broke out. What one person thought was treasure, another thought was garbage. And what one thought was a treasure for one reason, another thought it was treasure for something else.

One night, Earlington revealed his inner, corrupted soul. He turned on the magicians of Valdeer, even those that fought for him, befriended him! They were accused of being in cahoots to take over, to wrest control from him. Magical items coveted must have been coveted because they could be used to usurp him. None could be trusted. He declared all magicians traitors to Valdeer, and those that could not escape were rounded up and enslaved.”

“He thought they wanted to take control from him?”

“His words were that they were all “...corrupt and power hungry, caring for nothing but themselves.”

“Loving only power and magic,” came a voice.

They both turned, startled, to see Julian standing a short distance from the table. He looked uncomfortable, as if he wasn’t sure he was welcome. Sabrina saw he was lightly rubbing his hands together, even inside his leather gloves, and recognized it as a sign of agitation and nerves.

She smiled, holding out a hand to him, “Julian!”

His face warmed up with a smile and he walked to her, reaching out and taking her hand, sinking into the chair next to her, “We’re...ah...talking about Earlington? Distasteful subject for this hour of the morning.”

Sabrina glanced towards Johan, and couldn’t miss the scowl on the other’s face. It instantly set her back slightly. Johan was going to have to drop his dislike of Julian for being a non-magician. He had no idea how much of an ally he could have in the tall doctor.

“Sadly, yes,” she said.

“He came into my room and was talking to me,” Julian said, looking between Johan and Sabrina, “He seems to think all magicians are power-hungry and illogical, uncaring of anything other than their magic, and the next spell. He warned me.”

“Did he!?” Johan suddenly turned his attention to Julian, face reddening slightly in anger, “Is _that_ what he said? Caring for nothing but their magic?”

“Er....yes.” He was about to add that he told Julian that Sabrina would one day choose between him and her magic....and he would lose, but he stopped. For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to actually say it. Not in front of Johan. Or Sabrina.

Johan continued to look angry for a moment, then pushed it aside with a cynical laugh. After a minute, he spoke again, “At any rate....Sabrina....the spiders you were helping create....Earlington’s army....he’s going to use those to attack Puriew’s palace, and conduct a coup. He wants to rule Valdeer.”

Sabrina slowly sank back into her chair, barely feeling Julian squeezing her hand.

“Oh my God. And I helped him.”

“You didn’t know, darling,” Julian said quickly, leaning towards her, “You mustn’t blame yourself for any of this.”

“He’s right,” Johan said, “You were a prisoner. The important thing now is how we’re going to stop them.”

“I...might know of a way,” she said quietly.

Sabrina remembered how the spiders had responded to her. How she had been able to direct them. 

Johan leaned forward, “What? How?”

“I...I can’t say just yet. It’s something I have to think on. Try something, a sort of...spell. But if I’m right, it will reduce a good portion of his army.”

Johan smiled savagely, “I hope you’re right. I would dearly love to see his plans fail.”

“You and me both,” she smiled back at him.

Julian chuckled.

Turning her attention to Julian, she squeezed his hand, “How’s Rebecca?”

“Good! Sore, of course, but she will be, she was cut open. No sign of infection. Very tired – again, all normal. She drank this morning, and kept down a little broth. Fingers crossed, she can go back to her own bed in another day, and rest there. Be back on her feet in a few days – carefully and cautiously.”

“I’m so proud of you,” she said softly.

Julian beamed at her, “I...I’ve done it before, dear.”

“And I’m proud of you each and every time.”

He squeezed her hand, and she returned it.

Johan made a sound, halfway between a grunt and a cough, “Sabrina, I need to talk to you.”

“Actually, I need to talk to you as well.”

Sabrina turned to Julian, and smiled gently, “This is going to be magic stuff, Ilya. I don’t think you’re going to find it very interesting.”

“I...Oh. Ah...”

“Why don’t you go to the infirmary here and help them set up for more....serious injuries? If things are going to get...hairy, they might be facing more than a few scrapes and cuts. I’m sure they’d appreciate having a doctor show them how to get the place in preparation. What they might need, and the like.”

She glanced to Johan, who nodded, “We...ah...yes. In all honesty, it would be helpful, Devorak. We’re only equipped to deal with small injuries....but a proper set up would be useful.”

Julian nodded, smiling faintly. He had a very uncomfortable feeling he was being dismissed, and it wasn’t a pleasant sensation.

“Of course. Anything to help...” he rose, still holding Sabrina’s hand, giving it another squeeze, “I’ll...ah...see you later, then?”

She smiled up at him, “Of course. I’ll come meet you at the infirmary as soon as I’m done, alright?”

He nodded, pausing, then leaned over and kissed her, lightly touching her face with his other hand. From the corner of his eye, he saw Johan shift faintly, and another unpleasant sensation ran through him.

Julian pushed away the knowledge that Johan clearly didn’t like him, and he was in charge of the Bolthole. Why didn’t he like him? Because he wasn’t a magician, or...was it more?

No. No he couldn’t give in to that. Shortly after they officially were together, Julian almost drove himself crazy with nerves every time a nice looking person seemed the slightest bit interested in Sabrina. It wasn’t jealousy...it was unease. Worry. What if she changed her mind? What if she found someone else? Surely God there were others out there who would be a better lover. Calmer. Stronger. Not a nervous wreck all the time, not with their emotions so haywire, jumping here and there on the turn of a word. He was terrified she’d start to have second thoughts, regrets. While he never told her, there were times he was sure she must have picked up on something, because she seemed to go out of her way to hold his hand, to put an arm around him. He had forced himself to stop fearing every time someone new sought her out, and he refused to start now.

He smiled at her, “I’ll see you later.”

Julian let go of her hand, and turned, heading back towards the infirmary.

 

Sabrina and Johan stood, and she followed him back along a series of hallways and tunnels, back into what she assumed was his meeting room. There were maps of the city on the walls, piles of papers on desks, bits and pieces of this and that. It was clearly a room where planning was taking place constantly.

“So.”

Johan turned, and leaned back against the desk slightly, “So. You are aware things are....changing, here in Valdeer.”

She crossed her arms, “You’re talking about this upcoming...civil war.”

Johan arched a brow, “Yes, I am. What rumours are you hearing about it?”

She shrugged faintly, “I honestly haven’t been paying too much attention, but...you’re going to lead an army of magicians to take Valdeer back. You have weapons and are teaching magicians how to fight. Planning on getting all the hiding places together and strike. Where, I have no idea. When, no idea.”

Johan looked disgruntled, “I’m not happy _that_ much leaked out.”

“I’ve only heard it from other magicians. I don’t think anyone else knows.”

“Still. The better part of war is the advantage of surprise.”

Sabrina watched his face in silence for a moment, “So you _are_ planning on....going to war?”

Johan sighed, leaning back farther and sitting on the desk, his legs dangling over the side, “Yes. I refuse to run and hide anymore. We have children who were born here, in hiding. They deserve to be free. To run around on the surface, and not live underground like Trolls.”

“And you think this is the best way?”

Johan looked at her sharply, “You have a better way?”

Sabrina turned, looking away, not meeting the vivid green eyes, “No. But then, I’m no leader.” She looked back up, “But people will die. If you lead a bunch of magicians who haven’t been to war into a war, even if they’ve been trained, some will die.”

“They’re already dying,” Johan said, angrily, his voice rising slightly, “They’re dying in chains, dying in slave quarters. They’re dying because they’re worn out, exhausted. The spells they are forced to cast are killing them. They’re being beaten to death by cruel masters. Dying of illness because they don’t have proper clothing in the winter. They are already dying.”

Sabrina fell silent.

Johan pushed himself off the desk, and walked towards her, speaking earnestly, “You have only had a small taste of it, Sabrina. You haven’t had years. Your honourable spirit does you proud, but honour was lost here a long time ago. Now it’s survival.”

He fell silent for a moment, then stood directly before her, and spoke softly, “Will you join us?”

Sabrina blinked, backing up a step, “I....me? Huh?”

Johan spoke again, his voice intense and clear, “You are powerful, Sabrina. I can feel the magic in you, and you haven’t even cast anything in my presence. You’re untrained, but with the proper training, you could be so powerful.”

“I...I don’t want to be powerful...”

“You can’t honestly tell me you don’t feel a thrill when you learn a new spell. When you cast, and release a spell that’s been building up. That you don’t feel a sense of....longing and eagerness when you see a spell tome you haven’t seen before, knowing that there is unknown knowledge in there, just waiting to be devoured. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t venture into dangerous territory if you knew there were secret spells to be discovered.”

As he spoke, Johan had been walking towards her, pressing his words against her. Sabrina had been backing up slightly, not afraid, but feeling the invasion of her personal space. When her back hit the wall, Johan stopped, backing up a few steps, only now aware he had been moving towards her. He looked horribly embarrassed and uncomfortable.

“I...I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...but you can understand the point I’m trying to make...”

“I...I do feel that way,” she said quietly, “when it happens. Magic tomes are so rare, so hard to come by in Vesuvia. Ones that I haven’t already read, I mean.”

“Of course you do! You’re a magician! You feel the call of the magic, the pull. Sabrina, if we’re to make Valdeer a safe place for magicians again......we need you on our side.”

She moved away from him slightly, moving sideways to circle away from him.

“Johan, I’m not a fighter. Literally going out with the intention of hurting someone....I don’t think I can. I mean, I’ll help however I can, yes. Here at the Bolthole, or...outside. But to.... besides, I might be able to stop his spider army!”

Johan crossed his arms, “That’s all well and good, Sabrina, but it’s not going to stop Earlington. He’s not pinning all his hopes on that army. He’ll have proper soldiers as well.”

She said nothing. After a moment, Johan spoke again, gentler, softer, “Please, at least think about it. We need you. We can train you.”

Sabrina only nodded, not wanting to commit any more than that. But now it made things difficult for what she was about to ask.

“Johan....is there a way to get these collars off?” she raised a hand, lightly slipping a finger underneath the lace collar she wore.

He paused, then spoke, “I don’t know, Sabrina. I do know they’re rigged to kill if the magician tries to remove them. No one in the Bolthole has ever had theirs removed. And we haven’t been in contact with anyone who escaped Valdeer with one on. Because once the collar was on...”

“They were enslaved, yes. I know that once I was far enough away from Earlington, he couldn’t command me through the collar anymore, but....can I remove it?”

Johan shook his head, “I’m sorry, I....I don’t know.”

There was a long pause as she looked to the floor, her eyes slightly unfocused as she thought. The collar was going to have to come off. What if she couldn’t even leave Valdeer because of it? What if, when they tried to walk through a portal, she blacked out, or...or died? What if the resistance collapsed, and Earlington found her? He’d be able to use her like a weapon. On her friends.

On Julian.

She lifted her eyes, “I volunteer, then. To see if we can remove it.”

Johan blinked, looking alarmed, “What?”

“Well....someone is going to have to be the guinea pig, right? Find out how to do it, block the aura or something, and get rid of it. There has to be a first person.”

“Yes, but...my God, Sabrina. What if it doesn’t work? What if it fails?”

“Johan....the only way I will even consider joining you in this....war....is if this is off me. I am not risking being caught again. All Earlington has to do is get close and give me a command, or shut down my magic. No, it has to go.

I....I have a request, though.”

Johan looked at her in silence for a moment, then spoke quietly, “You don’t want Devorak to know about it.”

She shook her head, “He’ll panic. Julian worries enough about me. If he knows what I’m doing, his head will explode. He’ll try to talk me out of it, and.....Julian’s the only person that can talk me out of just about anything if he’s truly upset about it. He’s been through enough because of me.”

“You think him suddenly finding out you’re dead will be any less cruel?”

Sabrina flinched, then lifted her chin, stubborn, “No, it....it’s not. But it will be done, then, one way or another. I can’t live like this. Not knowing if Earlington’s going to show up and just take control of me. Lock down my magic. I’m trying to keep it hidden, but....I’m scared. I’m scared he’s going to find me. I had nightmares about him last night.”

Johan looked unhappy, but nodded, “Alright, then. How do you want to do this?”

Sabrina started to pace, “There must be some sort of....spell that lets the collar know when it’s not whole. Tearing, cutting....it all separates the collar. So it must be like a circle spell. Once broken, it releases a powerful burst of magic.”

“Obviously,” Johan agreed.

Still pacing, Sabrina continued to talk out loud, “The thing to do, then, is trick the collar into thinking it’s still whole. If the spell can continue to move around within the circle, it won’t know it’s been cut.”

“Alright. How?”

She stopped, turning to face him, “What if we....just made the collar large?” She made a circle with her hands, then pulled them apart slightly, “If we can manipulate the material enough so that it can stretch, it could be stretched enough to be lifted up and over the head. Like the collar of a shirt.”

Johan tapped his chin in thought, “It’s possible, but some collars aren’t made of flimsy lace like yours. Some are metal. Some are wood. It wouldn’t be impossible, but it would be difficult to manipulate the base material enough to make it....bendy. The metal, especially. It’s nature is to be rigid. You’d have to change it’s nature, and I don’t know if we have a magician who specializes in transmutation here in the Bolthole. It’s a difficult school of magic to master.”

“Right, right...” she started pacing again, chewing on her fingernails. There was silence in the room as they both tried to think, the soft sounds of her shoes on the floor.

After a moment, she turned again, “What if we just create an extension to the collar?’

“What do you mean?”

“Well...um...ok say you have a metal collar, right?” she looked around the room, searching for something to use. Moving over to the desk he sat on, she reached out and grabbed up a small silver chain resting on the top that had been almost tucked away under a large tome. It had a little pendant on it, a small metal plate with CE on it. As Sabrina started to talk, she missed Johan attempting to reach out and grab the chain, but she was already working with it.

She laid it out on the desktop, arranging it in a circle, “Ok, so this is the collar. And it’s a whole circle. The spell moves in a circle in it.”

“...Right....yes...”

“If we can add something onto it, to let the spell continue it’s circle...” here she picked up a piece of paper and tore off a small strip. She carefully laid the paper strip on it’s side in a C, both ends touching the chain. Now it looked like a circle with a bump on it.

“The spell can still move around. And once the collar is actually broken...”

Sabrina laid a finger over the chain where the piece of paper curled around the chain, representing a break.

“....the spell can still keep moving through the addition.”

Here she traced a circle, moving along the chain, then detouring away from where the break was indicated, following instead the path of the little piece of paper, joining back with the rest of the chain.

“It’s just a detour for the magic.”

Johan stared at the little display she had created, not saying anything for a while. After a few minutes, he spoke, “It...it’s workable. In theory. There is the chance, though, that the spell will still sense the break in that second before the “detour” picks up the spell, and creates a reaction.”

“Well....that’s why we have to be careful. Do you have a magician here who has any skill in enchanting? If they can sink the addition into the collar smooth enough, the flow won’t even hiccup.”

He reached out, scooping up the small chain and pendant, slipping it into his pocket, “Sabrina, are you sure you want to try this? You’re risking your life.”

She nodded, “I won’t have a life if I don’t. I’ll end up back in Earlington’s mansion, and I won’t let that happen. Everyone will be at risk. You, me, Asra, Julian. I refuse to be a slave, and I utterly refuse to be a weapon.”

Johan nodded, looking unhappy.

“Very well. When do you want to try this?”

“How about this afternoon?”

Johan looked startled, “So soon?”

Sabrina rubbed her hands together, a nervous action she had copied from Julian, “If I wait too long I’ll go crazy. This will allow me to work out exactly how to do it, show it to you, and....give it a go. Too long and I’ll make myself sick wondering about everything that could go wrong.”

“And you’re certain you don’t want....anyone to know?”

Sabrina lowered her face, “I....yes.”

There was a long pause, and then he spoke.

“Sabrina, I....I want you to know I’m very uneasy with this. If not downright frightened for you. I don’t want you to be hurt. I just met you and you certainly seem like a kind hearted person, and the magical world would lose such a powerful force. It would be such a loss.

But I can understand what you’re feeling. If I thought someone could show up and enslave me, enslave my magic, turn it off and on at their whim, not let me use it as I want, as I was born with it....I’d probably feel the same way.

I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

Sabrina lifted her head, and smiled at him, “Thank you, Johan, I appreciate it.”

Johan was about to say something else, when suddenly there was the sound of running in the hallway just outside the meeting room. They both turned, alarmed, when a young man a few years younger than either of them ran into the room, breathless.

“Johan, you have to come.”

“What is it, what’s going on?”

“It...it...”

Johan frowned, “Jason....”

“It’s the Lotus. _She’s here.”_

Sabrina paused seeing the stunned look on Johan face. Both Johan and Jason stood like statues, just staring wide eyed at each other. She waited for one of them to say something. Just when she was getting ready to say something, Johan spoke. His voice was hushed, shocked, disbelieving, “Are....are you sure?”

“You can’t mistake the Lotus, Johan.”

“Take me to her.”

Jason turned, and started back the way he came. Johan fell into step right behind him, and Sabrina, curious, took to heel and chased after. Both men were walking swiftly, almost running, and Sabrina had to hurry to keep up with them.

“Who’s the Lotus?” she asked, running up alongside Johan. He turned, gawking at her in shock, “You...you’ve never heard of the Lotus?”

Sabrina shook her head, “I...no.”

“She’s the most powerful magician that ever lived.”

Sabrina blinked, almost tripping up in her own feet, “Wait, you mean...like. Ever? Like there’s only one that outranks everyone else?”

Jason now turned his brown gaze back at her, “How can you be a magician and have never heard of the Lotus?”

Johan spoke, “Many people think she’s a legend, Jason. Sabrina may not have been taught about her if her master didn’t believe.”

Jason snorted.

They passed through an archway, entering the messhall. Johan and Jason continued on, but Sabrina fell back, remaining back by the arch.

There was a large group of people gathered in the messhall, all talking excitedly. There was a lot of coming and going, hurrying here and there. A large knot of people stood in the middle of the room, and it was here Jason led Johan.

Sabrina pushed herself up on tiptoes, trying to see better, gaining less than another inch on her short 5’2” frame. A moment later, a small part formed in the people, and Sabrina could see.

A very small, frail woman sat in a large chair. The chair had six wheels on either side; two large ones in the middle, and two smaller ones before and after. The chair was wicker, and had brightly colored cushions in it. The four smaller wheels were on a pivot, and Sabrina could see the whole chair could be turned in any direction needed.

The little woman in the chair looked like she might possibly top 5 foot if she were standing tall. Maybe. She looked like a little bird, delicate and hollow boned. Her face was a wreath of wrinkles, so much so it almost looked like she didn’t even have any eyes. Her thin hair was pulled back into a bun. She wore a bright crimson gown with cranes in flight embroidered in white silk. Tiny hands rested in her lap. Her head was drooped forward onto her chest.

_That’s the Lotus._

Unconsciously, Sabrina cast her magic out, seeking the other, looking for any information she could find. The answering pulse of magic made her gasp, taking a step backwards.

The magic emanating from the Lotus was immense. It was as if Sabrina were looking at an entire troop of powerful magicians, all working their magic up to a good strong hum. The air between her and the Lotus felt like it was crackling, almost ready to erupt.

Some of the magicians in the room seemed to sense it as well, and they all took a step backwards from the small woman, confused, not sure where the strange building of power was coming from.

Sabrina started, wide eyed at the Lotus, feeling almost trapped, as if she were a small fly caught in a spider’s web. There was no sensation of evil or danger, but the sheer strength of the magic was frightening in it’s own right.

Lifting her head, the Lotus didn’t open her eyes, but she turned her face in Sabrina’s direction, as if smelling her, or sensing her somehow.

And smiled.

Sabrina turned about on one foot, and fled back into the tunnel behind her.

 

 

She spent the next hour hiding in Johan’s meeting room.

Sabrina couldn’t go out past the tunnel. She could still feel the Lotus there, like some strange creature, waiting for her to walk out, unsuspecting. While she didn’t have an evil feel to her, it was the sheer strength of her magic that made her frightening. It was how a wild bird must feel, caught in a human’s grip.

Eventually, the sensation dissipated, growing weaker and weaker, until it was gone. Cautiously, Sabrina made her way down the tunnel, feeling like a fool, like a child hiding from an imaginary boogeyman, almost tiptoeing, until she stood in the same archway, peering out into the messhall.

Just about everyone was gone, except for Johan and a few others. The small woman in the chair was missing, as were most of the others who had been gathered. Not sure if she felt strong enough to leave the safety of the archway, Sabrina remained there for a few minutes. Johan glanced up, and seeing her, approached her.

“Are you just now coming out? I thought you’d be eager to meet her. I think just about every magician here came by to look at her.”

Sabrina said nothing, pushing away the uncomfortable feeling she had, and just half shrugged, weakly laughing, “Oh, I was just...thinking about the spell we’re going to do.”

Johan’s smile faltered slightly, “Right. Well, we...we’re ready, if you are.”

She paused. It actually shouldn’t be all that hard.....all she could do was try to face any obstacles as they arose. There really was no way of planning for this.

“Alright.”

Johan ushered her back to his meeting room, followed by two others, a blond man and woman. “This is Angelica Castille and Omar Peruvas. They’ve agreed to help us. I explained what you want to do, and....they want to help.”

“If this works, “ the curvy blue eyed woman smiled at her, “We’ll have the means to remove the collars from everyone!”

“If this works,” Johan said, stressing it. He glanced at Sabrina again, “Are you sure you don’t want Julian here?”

Sabrina said nothing, just nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Him being there would upset him, panic him, cause him undue worry and fear.....and not telling him, and having something go wrong would be just as bad. There was no real winning in this situation.

Besides, she was positive it would work.

Positive.

Pretty much.

Omar carried extra lace with him, and once they were inside the meeting room, Johan ushered her to a long table. There he started to move papers and inkwells to his desk, clearing off a place for her to lay down. Once it was empty, he helped her step up onto a pile of books, and sit.

She looked at Omar and Angelica, “You understand what we’re going to do, right? Just add a second route to the circle, then break the one underneath, detouring the magic past the break, so the spell is still locked into a circle?”

They both nodded, “It’s ingenious and disgustingly simple. We should have thought of it,” Omar said, “Although I don’t know if anyone would have volunteered for this.”

“I’m positive it will work,” she said, trying to sound upbeat, “So I’m not worried.”

“Alright. Lie down.”

As she allowed herself to be lowered to the table, stretching out, Julian’s face came to her mind, and she suddenly felt a deep stab of regret.

He should know. She shouldn’t be doing this. If he did something like this to her she’d be hurt and furious. What if she were hurt? What if she died? What if she died without telling him how she felt? That she loved him? That he was everything to her? 

“We’re going to start adding the lace now,” Angelica said, “Are you ready?”

Too late to turn back now.

She offered Angelica a weak smile, and nodded, “Let’s go.”

 

“This is much, much better.”

Julian stood in the entrance to the small area deemed the infirmary, arms crossed, looking pleased with himself.

Everything had been rearranged. Tables pushed back against walls to clear room, allowing for more space for movement. Chairs neatly tucked under tables. There were boxes of supplies stacked on the tables, ready to go. Most had been borrowed from other places in the Bolthole, and recycled to now uses.

The first thing Julian had done was tell the healers that, if they wanted, he would be happy to set up the infirmary so that it was more useful that it was now. He had to choose his words carefully, not wanting to accidentally offend anyone, and he knew how easy it was for him to put his foot in his mouth. This of course resulted in him falling back on his old speech patterns of “er” and “ah” a lot, but he managed to get his point across, and they were quite happy with an actual doctor putting things to order.

He knew nothing of magical healing, and they knew nothing of the more scientific manner of healing. While they couldn’t teach him about using magic, he could and did teach them how to provide the basic care. He stressed the importance of washing their hands before and after touching wounds or injuries, washing tools between patients. He explained how any surface that came in contact with any body fluids had to be cleaned with steaming hot water and strong soap. The idea that illnesses or diseases could linger on surfaces, including hands, was a hotly debated theory among his peers, but Julian saw no reason not to ensure things were clean. It certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Next was simple bandaging techniques. How to stop bleeding. How to bandage wounds, and how to change dressings. How to give injuries access to fresh air several times a day. How to cut up old material and boil it to make good clean bandages.

He looked through their poultices and salves, and gave them additional uses for each of them, and learned about them himself. He came away with several new uses for herbs he hadn’t known about.

By the time he was done, he felt fairly certain that with their own magical healing, and the more mundane techniques he had shown them, they should be able to handle anything non life threatening. 

He had stepped outside for a breather, when the lead healer in the infirmary approached him with a steaming cup of coffee. His eye lit up, and he thankfully took it.

“I heard you’ve a weakness for it.” he said. He was an older man, grey and a little stooped, but still with a strong voice and sense of command.

“Guilty as charged,” Julian grinned, taking a deep pull. He smacked his lips in appreciation.

The other man, who earlier introduced himself as Gerald, leaned against a wall, watching Julian, “What you did for Rebecca....we’re all very appreciative. None of us knew what to do for her. We thought we were going to watch her die. We don’t have a lot of actual doctors to help us here. The whole magic versus science thing.”

Julian turned a very faint shade of pink, “Ah, yes. I fear I fell afoul of that myself, when I first met Sabrina.”

Gerald laughed, “Oh?”

“She was very kind about it. More than she should have been, really. I had a...er...habit of making somewhat...snide comments about magic.” Julian gazed into his coffee, “I...er...tended to mock anything I didn’t understand, back then. She should have zapped me. I would have deserved it.”

“But she didn’t.”

Julian looked up, and smiled, “No. Instead she taught me a little magic.”

“You know....we could use you around here. Especially if things do...come to a war.”

Julian shifted his long frame uncomfortably, “Oh. No, I...sorry, no. Sabrina and I are going back to Vesuvia as soon as possible. We don’t....we don’t belong here. It’s not our home.”

Gerald spoke softly, “I understand. A pity. We’re getting more and more refugees every day. Something will have to be done, soon.”

Taking a sip of the hot coffee, Julian spoke again, “Er.....are you certain war is the best way to do this, though?”

“What other way is there?”

Julian shrugged weakly, “Protest?”

Gerald gawked at him for a second, before bursting into laughter.

_“Protest? How?_ Not show up for work? We’re _slaves_ , Julian. We don’t get a say. We’d be beaten or killed.”

Julian blushed brighter, “Right. Sorry, I...sorry. I just...war is just....”

“Unpleasant.”

Julian looked back to his coffee, “No. A paper cut is unpleasant. War is brutal. It’s awful. It’s hell.”

Gerald was silent for a moment, then spoke, “You’ve seen it.”

A nervous flick of his gaze to the other man, then back to his coffee, “Yes. I...trained in a battlefield infirmary. It’s a good way to jump into surgeries. Trial by fire, and all that.”

He shifted, “You...ah...see things you can’t unsee. Things....things that come to you in the middle of the night when you were actually getting a good night’s sleep for once. There you are, sound asleep, drifting, happy, content, and suddenly, there you are again, standing by that table, with that young man, barely past the age of a child, lying on your table, half his insides hanging out through disembowelment, while he screams and cries for his mother and begs you not to let him die.”

There was a shockingly long silence. Julian’s hand tightened on his cup, fingers trembling slightly, as he raised it to his lips and took another drink. He lowered the cup, and cast Gerald an apologetic smile, “Developed a high tolerance to alcohol there as well, actually. And a need for good coffee.”

“Have you....talked about it?”

Julian frowned at Gerald, “What do you mean?”

“Talked about....what you saw? Talking is supposed to be good for healing the mind, they say.”

“Oh...well. I mean, there aren’t any other doctors around, really, to talk to. Not like that.”

“And....Sabrina?”

Julian jerked in shock, almost spilling his coffee, looking up at Gerald, wide eyed, “Sabrina? Oh, _no_. No no no, I wouldn’t. That’s not the kind of thing to just talk about. It’s far too dark and disturbing. Besides, I don’t want to burden her with such unpleasant thoughts.”

“Aren’t you lovers?”

“Yes, of course we are.”

“Isn’t that what lovers do? Share their hurts?”

Julian fell silent for a moment, before he looked back to the safety of the coffee, “I don’t need to talk to her. I mean...some nights I....I have nightmares. I’ve woken her up from...er...tossing about, I suppose. She knows I have....I saw...bad things. I don’t need to tell her.”

“What does she say, these nights you have nightmares?”

Julian looked uncomfortable, “She....er....she....”

“Asks you to talk to her about it.”

“Yes.”

Gerald said nothing, just looked at him in silence.

“It’s not the same thing. How cruel would I be, putting those horrible thoughts into her mind? Giving her those nightmares?”

“Those we love help us carry heavy burdens, Julian. It’s what we do.”

Julian was suddenly reminded of when he and Sabrina had met. That had been something she had kept stressing to him. Lean on your friends. Let those who love you help you.

Still....

“Perhaps you’re right,” he said, not sounding convinced.

Gerald shrugged, “It’s really none of my business anyway. Tell you what. Come with me. There are a few newcomers I need to see to, and seeing you’re here, you can help me check them over for injuries.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Julian drained his coffee, then fell into step behind Gerald.

 

There were only a few newcomers, and most seemed healthy enough, besides being frightened. Julian checked each one over, and announced they were all fine to be admitted.

He had just finished checking over one dark haired woman, when he noticed she was grinning openly at him. Feeling somewhat self conscious, he spoke.

“Er....I’m sorry....do I know you?”

“No,” she said, still smiling, “But I almost feel like I know you.”

“I’m sorry?”

She laughed, “No, I’m sorry. I’m making you nervous. It’s just that you really resemble my husband.”

“Oh?”

She turned, nodding towards another man standing on the other side of the room, talking to someone else, “I mean, you don’t look like his twin or anything, but possibly cousin. I don’t think Robert has family here, though.”

Julian nodded, his gaze following the woman’s to where her husband stood. As she said, they did sort of resemble each other, although his hair was blonde, and he might not have been quiet as tall as Julian was.

“Well, you’re safe now, both of you. I guess I can welco-”

He stopped, his gaze going back to where the woman’s husband stood, “Wait. Wait wait wait. Did you say _Robert_?”

“That’s right,” she smiled.

Julian stared at Robert in disbelief. Suddenly lurching forward from where he had been standing, he quickly made his way over, reaching out and grabbing the other man by the arm.

The blonde man turned, blinking, gawking at Julian, “Uh...hello? Can I help you?”

Julian stared at him, while the man’s wife hurried up to her husband’s side, now looking at Julian in concern.

Julian spoke, “You’re Robert. Robert.... _dammit_. You were born here? Just you and your mother, Matilda?”

The other man, Robert, fully turned, looking at Julian with a mixture of distrust and apprehension, “I was, yes. Until I was forced to flee.”

“And you’re back now. You’re looking for your mother?”

Shadows passed over Robert’s face, “My mother’s dead. She died the night of the takeover.”

Julian blinked, “Who told you that? No, your mother’s alive.”

Robert gawked at Julian again, his wife giving an audible gasp.

“I...no. No, she died. I was told she was dead. That she had been killed, her body thrown into the river...”

“Unless there’s another Matilda about this high-” Julian levelled his hand down near his waist, “Who can perform healing magic, and raised a single son by the name of Robert who’s magical skill was in Illusion....then your mother is alive. I met her in Duke Earlington’s mansion. She told me a lot about you.”

Robert continued to stare at Julian in disbelief. He looked at his wife, and opened his mouth to say something. Instead, his face crumpled, and he started to sob. His wife, almost as tall as he was, stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding him. She looked at Julian, tears in her own eyes, “Is that where she’s to? At Earlington’s?”

“Was. She escaped the same night I did. She was taken to a safehouse by someone dependable. I’m sure she’s fine,” he added, trying to appease Robert.

But the other man just continued to sob helplessly. Kind hearted Julian found himself tearing up as well, and he clumsily patted Robert’s shoulder.

“I...er...ah..I’m going to go to ...er...the messhall. When you’re ready...you...er...come find me, alright? And I’ll tell you what I know.”

“Thank you,” Robert’s wife said softly, “And bless you.”

Julian nodded, and turned, making his way towards the messhall, wiping his eye and trying not to break down himself.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freed, Lover's Spat, The Lotus

The day wore on, as days do. Julian had retreated to the messhall to wait, extracting himself from Robert’s weeping as politely as possible, while still managing to feel awkward and clumsy. He hadn’t been sure how the other man was going to deal with the information Julian had given him. How did you handle being told that your mother was alive after years of assuming she was dead?

It had been less than an hour later that he looked up to see Robert and his wife approaching. Robert looked paler than normal and was clearly feeling weak and washed out. His wife was leading him by the hand, but Robert was clearly walking forward on his own.

They approached the table, and sat, Julian smiling encouragingly at them.

“I’m sorry,” Robert said quietly, “I didn’t mean to just break down like that.”

“Nonsense,” Julian waved it away, trying to be comforting, “You’d just received shocking information. It was perfectly natural.”

“This is my wife, Gloria,” Robert said, patting his wife’s hand, “I’m thankful she started talking to you. Only....how did you know who I was?”

Julian rested his arms on the table, “I met your mother when I was kidnapped by Earlington. He..er...had kidnapped my love, and I was caught trying to rescue her. That’s when I met your mother, Matilda. She was a servant for the Duke. Had been for a very long time. Since the night of the crackdown, I suppose.”

“All this time,” Robert said miserably, “And I never looked for her.”

“You were told she was dead,” Gloria said softly, squeezing his hand, “Why would you look for her?”

“I should have made _sure_ ,” Robert insisted, “I shouldn’t have just taken someone’s word for it. My God, what must she think of me? She must have wondered why I didn’t come to see her?”

“Er, actually....” Julian said gently, “She thought you were dead as well. She told me as much.”

Robert looked at Julian, wide-eyed, horrified. He looked like he was about to break down again, but took a deep, steadying breath.

“She took to me right away,” Julian explained, “As your wife said, we do resemble each other in some ways. I didn’t know it at the time, of course. It wasn’t until later I figured it out, and she told me. Your mother made our imprisonment bearable, carrying notes back and forth for us, helping us out whenever she could.”

“And....you’re certain she got out?”

“Positive. I carried her out of the mansion and into the wagon myself. I saw the wagon leave the Duke’s premises, and it was being driven by a man I trust with my life. I am one hundred percent certain she’s in one of the other safe places. She...she’ll be so happy to know you’re alive, Robert.”

The other man gave Julian a weepy smile, and reached out, taking his hand. It was a mix of a handshake and a squeeze, “Thank you. For everything. For befriending her, for saving her....for telling me. Everything.”

“You’re more than welcome,” Julian smiled, “She’s an absolute darling.”

“Let’s go talk to some of the others,” Gloria suggested to Robert, “We might be able to find out which place she’s at, and find a way to contact her.”

“Yes, you’re right,” Robert said. He stood up, and smiled at Julian, “Again.....thank you. Any way I can make this up to you....just ask.”

Julian said nothing, just gave a dip of his head, and watched as Robert and his wife turned, walking out of the mess hall. He felt good, a happy sense of justice in his heart.

 

Sabrina was sitting up on the table, trembling fingertips lightly tracing the bare skin around her neck, as if she couldn’t quite believe it.

She looked to Johan, who was standing back, smiling at her. The other two magicians, Angelica and Omar, stood back as well. They were lightly covered in a fine sheen of sweat, having wrestled with the magic in the collar, but both were beaming with a strong satisfaction and joy. They had done it. They had successfully removed a magician’s collar.

Sabrina turned and looked at the collar, lying on Johan’s desk. The original circle of lace was cut, but the circle continued with an additional piece added on, like an extension. It was much wider now, and once the spell had been placated by no disruption of the flow, it had been easily lifted up and off her head. It was still enchanted. Still _live_ , magically. If it were cut now, there would still be a powerful magical backlash. But it was no longer around anyone’s throat.

Sabrina was silent, trying to make sense of what she was feeling. The knowledge she was no longer bound by anyone. That Earlington couldn’t command her back into slavery anymore. That he couldn’t use her as a weapon against those she loved. That her magic was hers again.

That she was _free_.

“How are you feeling?” Johan asked.

Sabrina looked up at him, and weakly smiled, lips trembling. She opened her mouth to speak, and humiliated herself by bursting into tears.

Alarmed, Johan moved forward, and laid a hand on her shoulder, patting her a little awkwardly, giving her a squeeze, before sliding an arm around her in a loose, one armed hug. Omar and Angelica glanced at each other, and turned, slipping out. Johan watched them go, and called out his thanks, to which they responded with a kind wave.

“I’m sorry,” Sabrina tried to stop the tears, “I don’t know how to feel. It’s so insane, and...I’m shaking, and....I'm getting tired of crying but I can't help it...”

“It’s perfectly understandable,” Johan said, giving her a gentle squeeze, “You were a slave, Sabrina, and now you’re free. Your magic had been _taken_ from you, and used without your permission. It would be strange for you _not_ to have wild emotions.”

Sabrina just nodded, still trying to get control of herself, wiping away embarrassed tears, sniffling loudly.

“But just think about what you _did_ , Sabrina! You proved that collars can be _removed_ , if the spell is just bypassed! You’ve freed all the other slaves!”

Sabrina looked up at him, getting more under control, “I find it hard to believe that no one else thought of it, Johan. Older, more experienced magicians. It wasn’t a ground breaking spell.”

“No. What was groundbreaking was that you _volunteered_ to do it. I’m certain others had the same idea, the same theory. But as far as I know, it’s never been tried. You took a theory and _proved_ it.”

She smiled, “The spell will have to be altered, though, for each individual. My collar was lace. Lace, leather....any material will be easy. Removing a metal collar will be much harder. You’d almost have to magically glue the bypass to the original collar, and then find some way of cutting the metal....without hurting the wearer. Likewise a wooden collar...”

“Someone highly skilled in transmutation should be able to deal with that,” Johan said, “Joining metal to metal would be second nature, and anyone adept in life magic should be able to make new wood grow into the original. The thing is, you showed it could be _done_!” He smiled proudly at her, “Sabrina, you’re going to be adored here.”

Suddenly aware his arm, while just a one-armed hug, was still around her, Sabrina smiled faintly, and slid off the table, “I’d actually rather not have my name associated with this, if you please.”

Johan watched her move away, and when she spoke, he blinked, “What? _Why_? You deserve the recognition and acknowledgement of what you did!”

“We don’t _know_ I did it first, Johan. What if there’s another magician out there who did it before, years before, and it’s just that no one knows about it? That’s hardly fair. Besides, I...I’m not _comfortable_ with...recognition. It was the wrong kind of recognition that let Earlington find out who bound The Devil and chase me down in Vesuvia.

I’m content to be an “unnamed magician” in this.”

Johan stared at her like she was insane.

“Look,” she tried to explain, “My master taught me a lot of magic. But he also taught me that magic, like everything else, can become addictive if it’s not....tempered with sanity. I understand a lot of magicians live their lives chasing the next spell, the next magic tome. And yes, I get excited when I do find a new spellbook. If Julian finds something he makes the seller promise not to sell it, then comes and lets me know it’s there, asking if I want it, because he doesn’t know if I’ve read it or not. Usually, I have. But sometimes I haven’t, and I _can_ spend hours....or _days_....lost in the spells-”

“You see? You _do_ have the drive, Sabrina! You’re doing yourself an injustice by implying you’re not driven to learn, to research, to develop new spells. As if you merely _dabbled_ in magic. I suspect Asra may have tried to keep your thirst for magic low, but now that you’re on your own you can give in to it!”

Johan turned, throwing his arms out at the books laid about all over the room, “Before all this happened, I _thrilled_ to the hunt! I travelled, chasing nothing but rumours of ancient texts and scrolls! I walked, I rode, I sailed...it was a life of adventure. The ruins I walked, the places I slept. And oh, the things I have _seen_....”

He fell silent for a minute, as if reliving some of those days, some of those spells and discoveries. He turned around, looking at her, smiling.

“When this is over, I plan on doing it again. There is more out there, Sabrina, _much_ more. So much magic, so much knowledge and power. You _must_ come with me!”

She blinked, “What?”

He walked towards her, “You’d _understand_ the importance of the discoveries. We have lost a lot of magic, Sabrina. Ancient texts, just lost over time. Back when magic could move mountains! Back when empires were founded on the _old_ spells, delving into the strengths of the _very earth beneath our feet! I have tomes you would kill to see!”_

Sabrina shook her head, smiling politely, “I...it sounds wonderful, yes, but I’m pretty busy travelling with Julian around the world when _he_ gets a need for adventure. And I am often lucky to find old tomes for sale in markets, or hearing rumours of ruins that have old scrolls in them. Julian and I visit places, he’s more than happy to help me search. I have some at home, right now, actually, I was planning on reading before all this....”

Johan looked at her with a faint light of disappointment in his face, but said nothing. After a moment, he folded his hands behind his back, clearing his throat. There was a clear sense of “stepping back” from the conversation, a resetting of himself.

“If you wish to not be associated with what was done here, I will certainly agree to that. I have no desire to make you uncomfortable. But....I do have to ask you something.

Now that you’re free of the collar....now that he can no longer call you away, enslave you.....will you fight for us?”

She opened her mouth to refuse, but paused. While she was feeling uneasy with a lot of things at the moment, not the least of which was Johan’s odd intensity a few moments ago, she was also feeling a vague sense of guilt.

Both her and Julian had come to the Bolthole for safety, and Johan had taken them in. He _had_ agreed to allow Julian, even though there was, for some reason, a non-magician ban on the place. Yes....Rebecca had needed to be saved, but he could have still said no, left Julian to the whims of fate.

He had just allowed a potentially dangerous experiment to take place in his own _meeting room_.

And he was right about a lot of things. She _was_ a magician, and this was affecting other magicians. Could she honestly just walk away through a portal and leave everyone behind? They might not be able to leave through the portal with her – at least not until their collars were removed – but many didn’t want to leave. This is where they were born. They might have had some happy memories of growing up there. They shouldn’t _have_ to flee.

But _war_....

“I...I don’t know, Johan. I need to think about it.”

“I can’t imagine what you have to think about. You’re a magician, and this is a war to save the magicians of Valdeer.”

“It’s not just something I can just....just...do. I...I have to talk to Julian about this.”

There was a pause, and he spoke again, “We _need_ you, Sabrina. We can train you to fight with your magic, if you need it, but you would be an amazing addition to our forces.”

“I....I need to go find Julian. He’s probably wondering where I am.”

“And....what will you tell him?”

Sabrina looked at him, confused, “What do you mean?”

Johan pointed, “The collar.”

“Oh. I’ll tell him the truth. A gentle version of the truth. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”

“That’s...very noble.”

Sabrina looked at him in silence for a moment, not sure if he were being sarcastic or not, and turned. She walked towards the door, and opened it. She paused for a moment, looking back at him.

“Johan, I _do_ appreciate you helping me get the collar off. And taking us in.”

He smiled, “You volunteered, and we needed to know.”

She nodded, and turned, heading out.

 

Sabrina had been heading towards the infirmary when she passed through the messhall, and noticed Julian sitting there. He was seated with his hands folded on the table, black leather gloves in place, and he was either asleep with his head drooped forward onto his chest, or he was staring quietly at his hands. Which she knew, from past experience, that meant he was deep in thought.

Smiling, she crossed the empty room towards him. Sensing motion from the corner of his eye, he looked up, his face lighting up in a smile when he saw her.

“ _There_ you are. Er....how did the meeting go?”

Sabrina stood beside him, sliding an arm around him, leaning against him lightly, “Good! Wonderful! What about you? Did you get the infirmary all in order?”

He slipped his right arm around her, pulling her close, smiling up at her, “I did, yes. They should be able to handle most common injuries and illnesses now, at least. It took a little readjustment of some furniture and the like, but the flow is better now. Easier to move from one station to another, and...er....why are you smiling like that?”

She laughed, “Notice anything different about me?”

Julian frowned faintly, his eye roaming over her face, her hair. He never really liked that phrase – there was too much of a chance he had missed something important. But it only took a second for his gaze to lock onto her throat. His eye widened, _“Your collar!”_

_“Gone!”_

He beamed, “That’s wonderful!” He pulled her into a tight hug, before loosening his arms and leaning back to study her face, “What happened!? Did it just fall off, or....how on earth...?”

Laughing, she pulled away from him, taking his hand and tugging. He rose from his chair, happy, and she started to lead him back towards their small room. She was going to talk to him, let him know she was considering staying and maybe helping in the war. Sabrina knew he’d be worried, and she wanted some privacy to be able to talk to him about it.

She led him from the messhall, and they walked into the tunnel leading to their little room. Sabrina pulled his arm out and slipped in under, slipping her arm around his waist. His hand settled against her hip as they walked.

“No, no it didn’t come off. We found a way to _remove_ them!” She looked up at him, positively beaming, “The collars can come _off_ , Julian! I mean, it’s going to take a slightly different approach for certain collar styles, but now we know they can come off!”

He squeezed her tightly, “That’s wonderful! No more slaves. No more prisoners. Who came up with the idea?”

“Johan and myself, actually. We talked about it in the meeting room.”

Julian blinked, looking closely at her, “You did?”

Sabrina nodded, “I don’t want anyone to really know, though. I just...you know. We’re going to go with “unnamed magician”.”

Julian frowned, looking down at her. His steps slowed, “I thought.....isn’t this something that should have taken longer? I mean....had he already run tests, and you just found a missing link or....? I mean, you didn’t just come up with it on the _spot_ , did you?”

Sabrina laughed, “No, no. I mean, the _theory_ was already there, I’m sure. I can’t be the only one in the last ten years to have suddenly thought up this way of removing the collars.”

She paused, confused, at the look on Julian’s face. He wasn’t smiling, he looked worried. Stopping walking altogether, he slid his arm from around her, and turned to completely face her.

“Sabrina....are you saying you’re the _first_ one to have their collar removed?”

Getting slightly uneasy, not sure just why he seemed less joyous now, she spoke a little hesitantly, “Well, I mean, like I said, I’m sure there must have been others out there who came onto the same theory I did. It’s not possible no one _else_ thought of such an easy and simple bypass of the collars.”

“But no one knows about them, knows if they worked.”

“Right...”

“Because no one knows if anyone has lived to tell of it?”

Sabrina started to get a slight sinking feeling, “Well, I mean, anyone who got their collars off probably ran away from Valdeer, Julian. They’re not going to risk getting _caught_ again.”

Julian was looking more and more upset, “You don’t _know_ that! They might have been killed, and that’s why no one heard of it! You _did_ do some tests with it first, right?”

She was getting more uneasy, and a little bit defensive. Sabrina tried to put it into an example he might understand better.

“You’re always talking about experiments and theories, Julian. This isn’t any different.”

He stared at her.

“ _Yes! It is!_ Sabrina, how did you _know_ this was going to work?”

Inwardly cringing faintly, she looked around for some place they could go, to get out of the public eye. Right now the hallway they were in was empty, but anyone could come along at any moment, and while Julian didn’t seem concerned about being seen, she was. Their small private room was a little too far away, so spying a door, she grabbed Julian’s arm, and tugged him forward. Luckily, the knob turned in her hand, and she pushed it open, dragging him in behind her.

Inside the room were crates, some open, others still nailed, apparently full of supplies for the kitchen. Bags of fruit, huge sacks of flour, large containers of butter.

Closing the door behind them, Sabrina turned, looking up at Julian.

“Ok, listen. I know you’re upset-”

“Upset!? _Sabrina!_ ”

“Julian I had to get rid of it! I couldn’t _stand_ having it on! I kept having nightmares about Earlington finding me and forcing me to use my magic against everyone! Of making me hurt people! I was a _slave!_ ”

“I _know_ that!” he said, grasping her shoulders with his slender hands, “I know, but this....did he force you into doing this, or...”

“What? Who? Johan? No, it was _my_ idea, Julian. I went to him, to ask him to help me do it.”

“My God the _risk_ -!”

“I knew it would work!”

“You just said you didn’t run any _tests_ , any _experiments!_ There’s no way you could have _known_ it would work!”

“I _did_!”

“And why didn’t you _tell_ me!? My God, you...you let me _leave! You let me go off to the infirmary!”_

Her stomach started to churn, “You would have talked me out of it!”

_“You’re damn right I would have!”_ he cried, squeezing her shoulders. He was clearly upset, face paler than normal, entire body tense like a coiled spring, “You risked your life on a _gamble! And you didn’t even tell me!”_

“It wasn’t a gamble!” she yelled, shrugging off his hands, “I knew it would work-”

“In theory! You knew it would work in _theory!_ That’s not the same thing!”

“You conduct experiments all the time, going on nothing but theory!”

_“I don’t risk my life!”_ he cried.

“You did! When you wanted us to let you hang, that was all on a theory! You said you’d come back, but you didn’t have any way of knowing!”

“But you were there! I didn’t hide it from you!”

Sabrina was starting to fight off tears. She was upset, and the damned part of it was he was right. It was wrong of her not to tell him, but it needed to come off....

“If I had told you you would have stopped me.”

Julian was starting to pace at this point, hands in his hair, destroying his curls and turning it all to frizz, “I....I would have-”

“You would have stopped me, Julian!”

_“Well forgive me for not wanting to lose you!”_ he yelled, turning to face her. His face was red, but not in a blush or embarrassment. It was just pure emotion, heart racing and upset, “I would have made you stop, yes, and do experiments first, work it out! Tests, and....and....that’s how science works!”

“This isn’t _science_ , Julian, it’s _magic!_ ”

“You took an insane _risk_! I can’t believe-”

“I didn’t have time!” she yelled back, “I needed to get the collar off!”

“You’re safe here, you didn’t need to risk your life! I’d protect you!”

“Julian, I know, I know you would, but you can’t if I was wearing the collar. _Don’t you understand!?_ And I needed to know I had my magic back. What if I was always stuck with it on? What if I could never get it off?”

“We’d still have a way back to Vesuvia! You’d be safe there from him!”

“I wasn’t safe before! And I would have lost my magic!”

_“You can live without your magic!”_

Sabrina blinked, backing up a step. She gawked at him in shock for a second, before anger set in.

_“No! I can’t!_ My magic isn’t like painting, Julian, or music! It’s not some skill I can pick up and put down when I want to! _It’s me! It’s who I am!_ It’s as much a part of me as my hair and my eyes and my skin! And it hurts when I can’t do it, don’t you _understand?_ It’s like being told don’t breath, or don’t drink!”

Julian turned, pacing again, clearly distraught.

She forged on, “And what am I supposed to do if I meet him out there, Julian? With that collar on? One word and I’m _trapped_ again! He can just order me back to his estate!”

“That doesn’t even make any _sense!_ Why would you just be traipsing around ou-”

He came to a stop so suddenly he almost fell over, stumbling a step. Julian turned, looking at her wide eyed, stunned.

“You’re not thinking of _fighting!?_ ”

She stepped back, mentally cringing a little, “I...I might.”

He just stared, unable to believe what he was hearing.

“Julian, I have to help them.”

“We don’t belong here! This isn’t your fight!”

She was growing angry again, “Yes it _is_! They’re magicians like me! I can’t just ignore them when they need help!”

“Oh, he got to you, didn’t he!? He talked you into it! _I knew it! I knew this was going to happen!”_

“No one talked me into anything! I’m more than capable of making up my own mind!”

“He put this...this noble insanity into your head! To risk yourself for people you don’t even know!”

“You don’t _understand_ me, Julian! My magic.... _any magic....how it affects us!_ Earlington came all the way to Vesuvia to kidnap me because he thought he had the right to. Because I was a tool for him! That’s all he saw me as!”

“You don’t know anything about war! What it’s like! You’re not a fighter!”

Sabrina turned, angry. He didn’t understand. He didn’t understand magic. He didn’t understand her. It was just some...some...bland, thing she could do, like whistle. That’s all her magic was to him. She seethed.

An open crate before her, she angrilly started trying to sort the contents in it, laying in hay. She didn’t even know what she was doing, or why, but her hands needed to be doing something while she fought her emotions.

Behind her, Julian spoke.

“No. We...we don’t belong here. This doesn’t ...concern us. I’m not...I’m not letting you risk your life over this. As soon as we can, we....we’re going home. Both of us. That...that’s _final_.”

Anger welled up inside her, like coals freshened with air.

She turned, words already on her lips, ready to be spoken furiously. How dare he tell her what to do? She wasn’t his pet. She wasn’t going to be forced to do anything she didn’t want to, not by anyone! He had no idea what was going on, how important this was to her!

All this and more was ready to come pouring out.....but died when she saw him.

Julian had pulled himself up to his full height, all impressive 6’4”, standing rigidly, hands at his sides, tightened into fists.

He looked _terrified_.

He was so pale he was almost see-through. His grey eye held fear and misery, but he refused to look away, even though there was a tremble in his frame, his hands slightly shaking.

Her anger melted like ice.

Julian was trying so _hard_. He was trying to be _strong_ , to be adamant, to be absolute. He was terrified about losing her, and was attempting to force her into safety. But imposing his will like that was so far out of his comfort zone he was terrified. He clearly was expecting a backlash, but still had to try. To keep her safe.

Sabrina took a deep breath, letting her anger fade away.

In any other situation, she would have just given in. If this weren’t so damned important to her, she would have given in. She would have, in a way, rewarded him by agreeing to his demand. Because for him to have done this....he must be truly upset. And in a way, she wanted him to feel comfortable being that strong willed. Because she knew there was never a chance Julian would end up a bully.

Seeing her face, knowing he had failed, he seemed to deflate slightly.

They were quiet for a moment, then he spoke again, softly, “You don’t....you don’t know...what it’s _like_ , Sabrina.”

“I guess I’ll find out,” she said, quietly. There was a sudden gulf between them, that she had no idea how to cross. They each stood there, just looking at the other, lost. She couldn’t just leave, not with other magicians at risk. Having been taken against her will, and in a way, she was surprised he wasn’t on board with it. Rescuing an entire country of innocents seemed like something he would have thrown himself into with great gusto. Julian had a drive to do what was right. It was, after all, why he had been willing to try and kill Lucio so long ago. Kill the one to save the hundreds.

At the same time, she knew his fear of war. He refused to talk about what he had seen when he had worked for Lucio, around the time he had to amputate the Count’s arm. But she knew enough to know a medical tent on a battlefield was a place of horror. And she had seen him tossing and turning in his sleep some nights, pale and sweaty when he awoke, and no matter how often she begged him to talk to her, he always said he couldn’t remember anything.

Julian looked like he wanted to say something, starting to reach out towards her, but he stopped himself, lowering his arm again.

“I...I should...go check on Rebecca again.”

Sabrina spoke faintly, weakly, “Yes...good idea...”

He nodded, and silent, stepped past her, stepping out into the hall and making a hard right, disappearing from sight. Sabrina listened as his footsteps faded, and turned, looking miserably at the doorway. She didn’t know how to bridge the gap that had so suddenly opened up between them. Things had gone sour so swiftly, and things had been said that stung.

She walked over to an unopened crate, and turning, sat on it.

Suddenly the world around her swam and tears filled her eyes, and she sank her face into her hands, silently crying.

 

Julian visited Rebecca and was pleased to find the young woman doing very well. She was sitting up in bed, and her parents told Julian she was complaining she was bored and missing her friends. He told them her friends were more than welcome to visit as long as they didn’t tire her out, and that she could stay out of bed all day now, as long as she promised to return and rest when needed. If she felt strong enough to stay out, fine. If not, she was to return to bed to rest. He impressed on her the seriousness of what might happen if she pushed herself, and suitably frightened, she promised to be careful.

After that, he found himself pacing about the Bolthole, not sure what to do with himself. If he were back in Vesuvia, he could at least go to the Rowdy Raven and drink to push aside his worries. Here he couldn’t. And he couldn’t go be with Sabrina, which usually calmed him down....as it was Sabrina he was upset over. He didn’t know where Asra was, didn’t know anyone else in the Bolthole. His mind wandered as he feet did, no longer paying attention to where he was going.

There had to be some way of getting Sabrina to come to her senses. She wasn’t a soldier. War wasn’t anything to engage in half heartedly. Didn’t she understand the danger? He knew she was sometimes cavalier with her safety, throwing caution to the wind and racing off into possible harm. God knows their first adventure together proved that – how easily she would go tearing off if she thought she saw or sensed Lucio in the maze.

But this was _different_. This was a large number of people who wanted to personally kill her. Enslave her. They cared nothing for her, and wouldn’t hesitate a second to harm her.

And risking herself to remove the collar! How could she do that, just....just jump in with both feet! And the worse part of it was....that she hadn’t told him.

It hurt.

It hurt that she let him go on his merry way, rearranging the infirmary while she was risking having her head blown off! Yes he...he would have wanted her to wait. He would have begged that she run tests, experiment first. Get a collar and see what happens when you sever it without it being around a neck. Do...whatever it was that she did to another collar, maybe have it around a...a watermelon or something, see if it worked. Practice and practice until it was second nature. It was how he practiced for surgery before he actually faced a living person! You didn’t just...just go in half cocked like that!

What if she had _died_?

He wouldn’t have had the chance to tell her what she was to him. He would never have had the chance to tell her how she _changed_ him, for the better. He would have just gone looking for her for evening meal, and...she would have been gone. Lost to him, _forever_.

It _hurt_.

His feet stopped moving, and he took a deep sigh, sliding a leather glove down over his face, only now looking up and around.

He found himself looking into a room that was filled with books. Assuming it were some sort of library, he quietly entered, looking around to make sure he wasn’t about to disturb anyone. He was still very much aware he had to be careful he didn’t offend anyone here. He didn’t want to end up on Johan’s bad side....he was pretty certain he already was, simply by breathing.

There were small lights on the wall, not unlike actual glass streetlights, only instead of fire giving off the light, there were small balls of light, very similar to the ones Sabrina could make. They seemed to give off no heat.

There were rows of shelves in the room, old and wooden, and Julian found himself wondering how on earth they had managed to get such huge wooden structures inside the Bolthole. The floor, walls and roof were all cut from stone. Peering around the room, Julian had the strangest sensation that the room was larger inside than it seemed to be on the outside....which was impossible....wasn’t it? Certainly, from the number of large wooden standing shelves, the room itself must be enormous.

The library seemed very quiet, and there was a familiar smell of old books. He let his fingers dance across the spines of leather bound tomes and pockets of ancient scrolls. Seeing one scroll that seemed to have red ink gracing the edges, he started to pull it out, only to have the ancient parchment give way under his fingers, leaving him with a small hunk of the scroll, ripped clean away. Horrified, Julian swiftly stuffed the piece of scroll into the curls of the parchment, and hurried away from the shelf, trying to put some distance between him and it.

He rounded a corner, still letting his fingers move over the books. He read the spines – those in the languages he knew – and discovered they were all books about magic. Different spells, different types of learning. They were in all colors and covers, with fancy names like tomes, codex, compendium. Julian never removed any of them, knowing it would be useless. He knew nothing of magic.

_“You don’t understand me, Julian! My magic...any magic....how it affects us!”_

No. He didn’t.

Reaching out, he took a hold of one of the books, and slid it off the shelf, being far more careful with the book than he had been with the previous scroll. He turned it over, looking at the green leather cover with gold embossed writing.

“Compendium of Enchanting Permutations.”

Julian stared at the cover for a moment, trying to make sense of the images on the front. It looked like some sort of odd image consisting of a star and possibly a dagger. He squinted at the image, then flipped the book open to a random page, and started to read.

“...Attempting an enchantment on a non-living object requires far less concentration of personal force than a living one, for the personal will of the subject does not need to be considered. There is a theory, however, that even non-living objects have a will of their own, and any alteration requires at least some knowledge of Alteration, depending on how severe the enchantment is to be. A rock desires to remain a rock, after all, and will only cast aside it’s inner innateness with a great deal of force.”

Julian stared at the page in silence for a moment, before raising a hand and rubbing his face in annoyance.

“How can a rock desire _anything!?_ It’s a rock! It doesn’t have desires!”

“Are you sure of that?”

Startled badly, Julian almost dropped the book he was holding, spinning around in place to find someone staring at him. She was ancient, her face a mess of wrinkles. She sat in a wicker chair, with six wheels, two large ones in the middle, and four smaller ones before and after the large. She was dressed in brilliant yellow pants, shirt and shoes. Her hands were tiny, and folded into her lap. Her eyes weren’t even open, her hair a pale white, devoid of any color.

“I’m..er...I’m terribly...ah sorry. I didn’t...ah..mean to interrupt your magicalness. I’ll just..er..show myself-” Embarrassed, Julian tried to put the book back on the shelf, only to succeed in having it slide off and fall to the ground with a thud. He bent, picking it up again.

“Nonsense,” the old woman said, her voice startlingly strong, “You don’t have to leave because I’m here. This library is certainly large enough for both of us, surely?”

She held out a tiny hand, “May I?”

Julian paused for only a second, and then handed her the book. She took it, and held it between her hands for a moment, before opening it and laying it on her lap. She lowered her face, and seemed to read, although from his angle, Julian honestly couldn’t tell if she opened her eyes or not.

“Ah, the Compendium of Enchanting Permutations. A very knowledgeable read, if somewhat dry. The author was a brilliant magician, but he couldn’t tell an interesting story to save his _life_.”

Without lifting her head, she spoke again, “Now what makes you think a rock has no desires?”

Julian was silent for a moment, not sure if she were serious or not. With her age it was possible she had some dementia, although she certainly seemed on the ball. He wondered how she managed to get there in the middle of that room. There didn’t seem to be anyone else around. He supposed the wheels on her chair allowed movement, but would she have the strength to push herself around?

She spoke again, “Well?”

“Oh. Er...I mean...it’s a _rock_. They’re not exactly alive.”

“Aren’t they?”

Julian fell silent, smiling. _Bless her heart_ , he thought.

He spoke kindly, “I don’t think so, no.”

“Why would you say that?”

Still looking at the top of her head as her face was still angled down, he watched as she slowly turned one page after another. 

“Well, they don’t eat, do they? They don’t move, or...drink. They don’t breathe.”

“Hmmm.”

She turned another page.

“Plants don’t eat.”

Julian smiled fondly, “Ah, but they do.”

“What do they eat, then?”

“Well, you see, there are things in the soil that they get from their roots. Water and the like. That’s what they eat.”

“Can _you_ eat it?”

Julian blinked, “Er....pardon?”

“Can you eat what a plant eats?”

“Of course not.”

“Then how do you know it’s food?”

He frowned, “Because it helps the plant grow.”

“Doesn’t sun make them grow?”

“Yes, of course it-”

“So which is it, the soil, or the sun?’

“Both!”

“Can you eat the sun?”

“Madam, I’m not a plant.”

“So even though you can’t eat it, you call it food?”

“Of course!”

“How do you know a rock doesn’t eat? What if it eats something we don’t yet recognize as food?”

He opened his mouth, paused, then closed it again. He shifted faintly, crossing his arms, feeling oddly put out.

“Well, they don’t breathe, do they?” he asked.

“Don’t they?”

“Of course not!”

She was patient, and quiet, still slowly turning one page after another, “How can you be sure?”

Trying to remain calm, Julian attempted to keep his voice level, “Because no one has seen them breathe!”

There was silence. Another page turned, slowly, with a soft crackle.

_Ha,_ he thought, _that tripped her u-_

“If memory serves me, there are frogs that burrow into the mud in the winter. They....ah....what do you call it? Hobnob?”

“It’s called hibernate.”

“Ah, yes, that’s it. Hibernate. How is it they can survive the winter down there?”

Julian was quiet for a moment. The old lady’s thoughts seemed to be bouncing all over the place, and he wondered again where her caretaker was.

“Well...their natural processes slow down. They don’t need to eat or breathe because everything just slows.”

“Their breathing slows?”

“Yes.”

“But how do we _know_?”

Frowning, Julian sighed, “Because they’ve been observed breathing slowly. A single breath, every few minutes. Very shallow.”

“Hmm. Do you think it’s possible they might only breathe once every ten minutes?”

“I suppose it’s .... possible, yes. Madam, is your careta-”

“What about one breath every _twenty_ minutes?”

“Yes, it’s possi-”

“What about once every five hours?”

Julian was starting to get a little irritated, “That’s highly unlikely.”

“But theoretically possible?”

Julian blinked at her use of the word, but nodded, “Yes, I....I suppose so. _Anything_ is theoretically possible.”

“So,” she said, turning another page, “We have ascertained that rocks _may_ eat things that we do not yet recognize as food, and theoretically, possibly, may breathe so seldomly that no one has yet seen it simply because everyone _assumes_ rocks are not alive and no one wants to sit and _stare_ at one for five hours or more to see if it breathes. Do you _agree_ , Doctor?”

Julian gawped at her in silence.

“Now then,” she said, in her clear voice, “I would like to know where people have grasped onto the idea that something has to be, in modern vernacular, alive in order to have desires?”

Julian opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. He looked like a fish.

She continued, “Rocks are far older than we are, my dear doctor. We do not know what they are or are not. They move on a time scale we cannot even _begin_ to imagine. But everything in the world belongs to something. Everything is a thing, for a certain reason. And it’s not easy for one thing to become another thing. That is the power of the school of Alteration. You turn one thing into something else. And sometimes it doesn’t _want_ to be.”

She lifted her head, and eyes still closed, smiled sweetly at him.

Julian continued to stare in silence for a moment, before he found his voice.

_“Who are you?”_

“Oh...I have many names. I’ve been around so long people have just made them up. I’ve been called Queen, Abbess, I have more personal names than I can remember. My more recent name is the Lotus. It sounds terribly grand though, and I’m not all that fond of it, to be quite honest.

And you, dear doctor, are Ilya Devorak, also known as Julian.”

“How....”

She smiled again, “I listen. You’d be surprised how often people around an old woman talk, thinking I can’t hear. Why, all I have to do is go very still and pretend to snore a little, and everyone thinks I’m asleep and gossip like _birds_.”

Julian blinked, and burst out laughing.

“Now, Ilya, also known as Julian. Why are you here, in this library? You are not a magician.”

Julian’s smile faded, and he gave a faint shrug, stiffly leaning against a rack of shelves, crossing his arms like a shield before him, “I just wandered here, really. Wasn’t watching where I was going...”

The Lotus spoke, “I said you weren’t a magician, Ilya, I didn’t say you weren’t _welcome_. Get that stress and tension out of that long frame.”

Julian blinked, pushing off from the shelves. He paused, peering at her, “Er....just how much can you see, anyway?”

She laughed, “More than you imagine. The thing is, most people who find this library are magicians. They are usually looking for something in particular. Non magicians have found it as well, just ... _rarely._ ”

“I doubt that,” Julian said glumly, “As far as I know, I’m the only “non-magician” allowed in here, and that was only because Johan wanted Sabrina in.”

The Lotus said nothing, just smiled for a moment, then spoke, “You are with Sabrina, are you not? You’re in a relationship.”

Julian tensed up, “Yes. I think.”

“You think? An odd thing not be sure of.”

He said nothing.

She spoke again, “I hope you didn’t think you and her were going to live a life of carefree pleasure with no worries or stress?”

He looked at her, alarmed, “What do you mean? Do you know something?”

The Lotus burst out laughing, _“Bless you!_ No, that’s not what I mean. But “Happily Ever After” is how you end a _child’s story_ , Ilya. Reality is _different._ You are two separate people. In love, yes, with much in common, yes. But two people. You are going to bump heads. You are going to argue. You are going to fight, and bicker. It is _human nature_. And trying to suppress that is not good for the relationship. It ends up in resentment.”

Julian gazed at his leather gloved hands, “I...she said I don’t understand her. Her magic. And it’s true. _I don’t.”_

Julian looked around for a moment, then ran his hands through his hair, “There were no magicians where I grew up. I mean we _knew_ about them. Sometimes they came into port to purchase salts or other things. But I wasn’t exposed to them. I never really met one face to face until I was already training to be a doctor, and...er....well...”

The Lotus smiled, “Science and Magic do not mix well, do they?”

“No,” he said quietly, “They don’t.”

“Science sees magic as silly and useless. Magic sees science as cold and sterile. A pity, because, really, both studies are quiet similar. They have rules and regulations. They have patterns to study.”

Julian was quiet.

The Lotus spoke again, “You are disturbed. I can feel it. What has happened?”

He pushed off from the wall of shelves, pacing in front of her for a moment. Forgotten was where he was, the magical lights on the wall. Forgotten was the fact he only knew this woman for less than an hour. He desperately needed to talk to someone.

“We fought. Sabrina and I, we....it was our first fight.” He paused, looking away, “I’m not...a fan.”

“Go on.”

He continued to pace, long legs eating up the area as he moved, “She risked herself to get that collar off! And she didn’t _tell_ me! _She could have died!_ But she let me just go off, blissfully ignorant! She didn’t do any tests or experiments, she didn’t give it any mock runs first....her head could have been blown off!”

“That was inconsiderate of her.”

Julian said nothing.

“She was frightened,” the Lotus said. Julian paused, looking over at her.

“That...that’s what she said...yes. Desperate to get the collar off.”

“Have you never done anything lethal in desperation?”

“I...well...yes...I _have_ , but-”

“Do you not think being a slave was not frightening?”

“Of course it was! I’m not denying-”

“What do you want, Ilya?”

Julian turned, startled. Her question seemed to come out of the blue, like a strange change in conversation, and it threw him.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“What do you want to happen?”

He fell silent again.

Julian turned, looking at the rows of books there in the library. His shoulders drooped. “I want her to be safe. I want to _understand_ her. It’s so _important_ to her, that I understand her, but I don’t know _how._ I can’t do magic....these weird new runes she’s started making is bad enough....”

“And what are you afraid of?”

He fell silent again. Looking down at his feet, he spoke, “Losing her. She’s become my everything. If I lose her, there will be this enormous hole....and I’m scared. I’m scared of....”

“Of?”

“Johan.”

“Johan?”

Julian gave a weak shrug, “He’s handsome. He’s running an entire revolution. He knows magic. He understands her in a way I can’t. He’s already convinced her to join him in this insane war. God I wish I was strong enough to just grab her and drag her out of here. Even if she hated me for it....”

“But that would be wrong....wouldn’t it?”

“Yes. Because...she needs to do this, she said. And I understand that too, I just...I don’t understand this power, this magic.”

Silence.

“So then....you know what you must do.”

Julian blinked, looking up at her, “I...er....I do?”

“You do.”

Julian stared at her, lost, for a moment, “Can I...ah...have a hint?”

The Lotus burst into laughter, “Oh, no. _No no no._ You know. It might take you a little while, but you know. Now. It’s time for you to go. This place will move soon, and you don’t want to get lost.”

“But how will I know? How...wait, what do you mean this place will move?”

But she was moving towards him, the wheels on her chair moving all by themselves, her hands still on the book in her lap. She was herding him towards the doorway. Julian, having no choice, darted backwards, out of her way, until he was standing back in the hallway.

“I will see you again, Ilya. Take care.”

Before he could say anything, the door closed.

Julian stood in the hallway, stunned. He had no idea what to say or do. After a moment of just standing in place, he reached out, and grabbing the doorknob, turned it, and wrenched open the door.

A broom closed stared back at him.

Gawping, Julian closed the door, waited a heartbeat, and yanked it open again.

Still a broom closet.

He stared.

_“How the hell....!?”_


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two hearts. Sabrina learns who she is. Julian finds a book. Boundaries are drawn.

Sabrina had sought out Asra, in a need to just talk to someone about mundane things. She didn’t want to talk about the fight, or how she felt. But she needed a friend to just talk to. And when she finally found him, he was just finishing up some of his tasks. She happily helped him, finding relief in talking about the more mundane things. He noticed very quickly, though, that she was no longer wearing a collar.

Not wanting to get into another possible fight, Sabrina merely told Asra that it had been more Johan’s skill than anything else. He didn’t question how it was done, or the safety of it, either assuming she had done it safely or that she knew the magic needed.

They stopped, taking a quick rest on some stools, and he studied her face.

“You’re upset over something, though. I can see it on your face. What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, “It’s nothing. I mean....what’s not to be upset over, Asra? This whole _situation_ is upsetting.”

Asra nodded, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his thighs, “Yes. I know what you mean.” He looked at her through his silver hair, “Have you thought about returning to Vesuvia?”

She looked uncomfortable, “I...I might be staying. To help fight.”

Sabrina hadn’t expected the look of dismay on Asra’s face. She felt herself becoming defensive again, and struggled to hold it down.

“Why is everyone looking at me like that when I say it? Why is everyone so shocked? I want to help the people here! They need help!”

“Sabrina...”

“What?”

Asra studied her face for a moment, odd shadows seeming to flicker over it for a moment, before he spoke again, “You’ve always been a very kind hearted person. You’ve always had this...drive...to help people. And that’s good. It’s needed in this world, I think. But....you have to put yourself first sometimes.”

Sabrina frowned, “I never thought I’d hear that from you, to be honest.”

Asra sighed, “Sabrina....I know you don’t like talking about it, but....that’s how you _died_ , remember. You risked your own safety to help others.”

She looked away swiftly, stomach churning slightly. Dropping her gaze to the stone floor, she ran her eyes over the natural pits and grooves there, and spoke quietly, “I know. But just walking away, when others can’t....it just feels so wrong, Asra.”

There was silence for a moment, and then he spoke again, “You can still help, you know. You don’t have to actually be out there, facing danger. There are a lot of ways to help without putting yourself on the line.”

“Johan says I’d be a big help by fighting.”

Asra said nothing, but his lips thinned, a sign of his irritation, “Johan shouldn’t be pressuring you into dangerous situations. And Sabrina, you don’t really know how to fight, remember.”

“Johan said he’d teach me-”

“What?” Asra blinked, shocked, “He said he’d teach you to fight?”

Sabrina blinked, startled at his reaction, “I...uh, yes.”

Anger crossed Asra’s face, an emotion she hadn’t seen there before, at least not in her recent memory, “No. That’s dangerous, Sabrina.”

“What do you mean, dangerous?”

Asra said nothing, just shook his head, “It’s not good. Your magic isn’t....it’s not conductive to destruction.

Sabrina frowned, “How do you know?”

Again, Asra shook his head, but she leaned forward, “Asra, _please_ , how do you know? I know you were my master for a long time, so you might be the only person who knows my magic better than I do. Did I try something like that before, and it backfired? Before I...I died, I mean? When I can’t remember?”

Asra stood up, suddenly walking to a distant spot in the room, and bent, picking up a small sack of cornflour, “You just have to trust me, Sabrina. Please. Bad things happen when you try to use the school of destructive magic.”

Starting to grow alarmed, Sabrina now stood up, moving towards him, “Asra, what happened? Did I hurt you? Did I somehow hurt you?”

He turned, and there was a weak, but honest, smile on his face. He shook his head, “No. Oh no, you never hurt me, Sabrina. But you...you hurt _yourself_.”

She stood there, looking at him, starting to feel lost, “I hurt myself? You mean, like when I used to try to remember what happened to me?”

Holding the cornflour, Asra walked back to her. He paused, wrapping both arms around the sack of cornflour, holding it up to his chest, “Sort of. It just....it backfired. You’re very powerful, Sabrina, that’s true. But with no training, the....school of destruction magic was too much for you and you...you hurt yourself.”

She studied his face, a little worried when he wouldn’t actually meet her eyes. For a moment, she thought he might have been lying to her, but....to what end? Yes, he might be worried, but there was no reason for him to lie to her. He had been there for her through so much. Why would he lie now?

Her shoulders slumped, “Oh.”

Asra reached out towards her, then dropped his hand, curling his arm around the cornflour sack again, “Like I said, there are a lot of ways you can still help! Resources, like me! Running supplies out to them when needed! Helping to get anyone hurt back here! Helping to heal them.”

Sabrina smiled weakly at him, nodding, “You’re right. I can still help. _Julian_ will be relieved.”

Asra fell quiet for a second, then spoke, “You...you both had a fight, didn’t you?”

Sabrina just nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

“I’m sorry. He must be very worried about you.”

She nodded. She took a deep breath, and she let it out with a weak waver, and a wobbly laugh. Asra blinked, worried, “Sabrina?”

She shook her head, “No, I’m ok. It’s fine. I should go. Thanks for listening to me, Asra. I appreciate it.”

He looked like he was about to say something, then gave up, and just nodded, “You can come to me anytime. You know that.”

She gave him a watery smile, and turned, walking out of the room.

As she made her way back along the tunnels, her mind wandered.

_What’s wrong with me? My magic is supposed to be powerful but I can’t actually do anything with it? What’s the use of that? Powerful enough to be a help in this war, but can’t control anything properly to use it? Well that’s downright useless, isn’t it?_

_Fighting with Julian._

_I love him so much, but it hurts when he implies my magic is just some....thing....I learned at school. Like a hobby I have, and not a...a part of me. I can’t expect him to understand how it feels, but he should know by now how important it is to me._

_I thought he did._

_He brings me books he thinks I might be interested in, and tells me about magical objects he’s heard about. That time we travelled to the Singing Sands he actually planned a three day stopover in the ruins of Aldrassa so we could go and hunt abandoned scrolls. Was that just him humouring me? Has he thought it was just some cute little thing I did, all this time? Hocus pocus?_

She almost never noticed the open door she walked past. It was just another door in the long hallway she walked. Like any other doorway, it didn’t stand out in any manner.

But the power that sent a pulse towards her did.

Almost tripping over her own feet with the intensity of it, Sabrina caught her on the wall, and turned, looking back towards the doorway.

Carefully walking back to peer into the room, she was amazed to see a massive room, filled with free standing wooden racks of shelves, all filled with books.

Stepping inside, Sabrina could feel the magic coming from the books, as if they were leaking magical auras. Some whispered of hidden secrets no one knew about. Others promised spells of amazing properties. Some were covered in leather, others cotton, and still others in what looked like giant leaves.

She peered back out into the hallway, wondering if she were just allowed to walk in, before turning back and making her way along one of the row of shelves.

Peering around one of them, she was astounded to see what looked like row upon row upon row of the same massive shelves, all marching off into the distance.

The room was _enormous_.

There was a book, lying on a small wooden table. The table was a dark brown, seemingly taken from an ancient tree. The room was lit with small magical lights hanging from the rock ceiling and walls. Something about the book drew her, and she walked over, picking it up and reading the cover.

“Compendium of Enchanting Permutations.”

Curious, she turned the book over, and opened it. The ancient parchment was dry, and crackled faintly under her touch.

Something seemed to catch at her conscious, and triggered there, like a small bell ringing in the distance.

And it was very familiar.

_Julian?_

“Ah. You found the book.”

Gasping, Sabrina whirled, and found herself face to face with The Lotus.

This close, she saw just how tiny the old woman was. She looked like if she were standing, she herself might only come to Sabrina’s shoulder. You could see through her wispy hair to her scalp, and her hands were the size of small birds.

The magic coming off her was _blinding._

Sabrina backed up a step, and bumped into the table, setting it to wobbling. She spun again, grabbing it and pulling it straight, before turning back to stare wide eyed at the old woman.

“Careful,” she smiled, “Things in here aren’t always what they seem to be.”

Frowning, Sabrina glanced back over her shoulder, and blinked to see the dark brown wooden table had now somehow become a white wicker one.

She looked back, her heart pounding, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be here, I’ll leave.”

Sabrina attempted to edge around the woman’s odd wheeled chair. The Lotus didn’t move, but spoke in a clear, firm voice, “Oh nonsense, you’re welcome in here. Everyone is welcome in here. You found this place, so clearly you’re _looking_ for something.”

Realizing she was still carrying the book, she turned back to the old woman, “I...I didn’t mean to bother you, ma’am. I didn’t even know it was here. This room, I mean.”

“It wasn’t.”

Sabrina paused, “I...I’m sorry?”

The Lotus never opened her eyes, but smiled in Sabrina’s direction, “The room wasn’t here. At least it wasn’t a few moments ago.”

There was a pause, as Sabrina absorbed the old woman’s words. She frowned, “This room...wasn’t here?”

“Not a few moments ago, no.”

Confused, Sabrina turned, looking over her shoulder, back at the doorway she had come through, and felt a chill of alarm to see that the door was now gone. There was only a rock wall in it’s place.

“Oh don’t be afraid,” the Lotus said, “You’re not in any danger, Sabrina.”

She looked back, growing more and more alarmed, “You know my name.”

“I’ve heard a lot of people say it since I got here, so that shouldn’t be surprising. But I certainly don’t mean you any harm whatsoever. As I said, you found this room, so you’re looking for something.

What are you looking for?”

Sabrina held the book to her chest, wrapping her arms around it, “What do you mean, I found this room? Where’s the door?”

The Lotus never seemed to move, “This room doesn’t exist anywhere else but here. It’s it’s own small dimension. It only exists here. And because of that, it moves. One minute it can be in the Bolthole. In the next minute, it might be on the Golden Plains of Talador. It’s in all places at the same time.”

Sabrina was silent, her eyes wide.

“Did....did you make it?”

Amusement seeped from The Lotus, “Dear child, bless you! No, I couldn’t possibly make something like that. I _found_ it. And used it. These books you see here, they are the books I gathered during my life. And the books of my master. And the books of his. And the books of hers.”

Sabrina looked up, her gaze going over the row upon row of books. How many were here?

“Millions,” The Lotus answered.

Startled, Sabrina looked back at the old woman, and suddenly realized with a start that not once had the old woman actually spoken anything aloud. Her mouth had only moved when she laughed or smiled. She was speaking to Sabrina through her mind.

“Are you human?” Sabrina whispered.

Another laugh, “Oh my, yes. At least I certainly _started out_ life that way. Am I human still? Well....that’s very difficult to say, and in all honesty, who’s to say what’s human and what isn’t? An object’s state of being can never really be hammered down in any manner. Your true love and I were discussing just such a thing earlier.”

Alarm ran through her again. She glanced down at the book in her hand, then back up. The thought of Julian here, with this powerful creature made her feel very uneasy.

“Julian was here?”

“Oh, yes. We had a wonderful conversation.”

“What....about?”

“Rocks.”

Sabrina fell silent. She waited a moment for The Lotus to elaborate, but when nothing else was spoken, she cleared her throat, “Uh....rocks?”

“And whether or not they are alive.”

Another long pause.

“And....what did you decide?”

“Oh well. Nothing, really. But I have to say, he’s a charming man, and I can see why you’re drawn to him. You chose well, I think.”

Sabrina looked down at the book again, and walked back around The Lotus, and carefully placed the book on the wicker table, “I’m not sure if we’re even still together now.”

“Oh? A flimsy bond you had, then?”

Sabrina looked up, “What? No!”

“Then you think one fight broke it?”

Sabrina looked away, embarrassed, “He told you?”

“He’s very upset.”

She was quiet.

“He doesn’t understand my magic.”

“Of course he doesn’t. He’s not a magician.”

She blinked, looking up at the old woman. She still sat there, not moving.

“You expect a human to understand a bird’s ability to fly? No. Someone who cannot do a thing cannot understand that thing. It’s not that difficult to understand, is it?”

“But he brushed it off!” Sabrina suddenly blurted, upset and angry, “He pushed it away like it was just some sort of hobby! Like I could just _drop it_ at any point!”

“Did he? Or did you _hear it_ that way?”

“No I didn’t just hear it that way!”

“Are you sure?”

Sabrina opened her mouth to retort, but no words came out.

... _“You can live without your magic!”_...

Well....could she? It would be miserable, but...yes...she _could_. And he had been upset when he said it. He had just been told she had risked her life. And hadn’t even told him she was going to. Was it possible he was just _utterly panicking?_

“I...”

“When you picked up that book....you sensed him, didn’t you?”

Sabrina looked at her, sidetracked into confusion for a moment, “I....yes.”

“Don’t you find that odd? That you could sense a non-magician so easily?”

Sabrina’s gaze moved to the book. She remembered how she had been able to sense Julian before. Back in his office down in the catacombs of the palace.

“I’ve always been able to sense him.”

“Again...don’t you find that odd?”

“I...”

“When you bound the Devil....you were able to forge a link with him, weren’t you? The others, too, yes, but first and foremost with him. When you fought against the chains, there was a link there.”

“....Yes...”

“There is much you need to learn. Sit, and I will tell you.”

Sabrina shook her head, “I really don’t have time for this. I have to-”

The old woman’s voice suddenly changed. It became deeper. Stronger. More powerful.

_“Sit.”_

Shocked, startled, Sabrina thumped down to her knees, kneeling on the floor before the strange wheeled chair.

“You, child, are different. You are different from almost all of the magicians. Every so many hundreds of years, one is born who has intense power. From birth. Your arrival into this world was powerful. You were born with the strength of someone a hundred years old or more, but you did not have the training. The training _I_ had. The training the others have had. Something happened to you, and you were lost. You disappeared, and grew up without training. Now you are here, a powerful magician but unable to reach your full potential.”

Sabrina blinked owlishly at The Lotus, not sure she believed what she was hearing. It sounded very much like a child’s novel.

And yet....the damnedest part was that it almost _felt_ right.

“Your magical power makes you a target for others. Those who can cast magic, those who are sensitive to it, will feel your strength, and they will be drawn to you, almost against their will.”

Sabrina smirked, and scoffed, “Wait. You’re telling me I’m like some heroine in a romance novel where every character somehow magically falls in love with the heroine because she’s just that beautiful?”

The Lotus did not smile, she was not amused.

“I did not say you were _beautiful_.”

Somewhat deflated, Sabrina fell silent.

“I said they will be _drawn to you, even against their will_. Have you not had any strange experiences where someone who does not seem to like you still seems drawn to you?”

Suddenly, a memory came to Sabrina, awful and chilling. When she had been in Earlington’s mansion, and had worked on his spiders. How his tone had suddenly changed towards her, cajoling, pleading, begging her to work for him willingly. How he had reached out, as if to brush her hair tenderly back from her face....and yet at the same time he was forcing her against her will, hated her, despised magicians.

“I...yes...”

The Lotus nodded, “They do not _love_ you – do _not_ think that. They are drawn to your magic. They love _that_. Not you. They will use you if they can.

This is not to say anyone who cares for you only cares for your magic. That is not true at all. But it is something you have to be aware of.”

Sabrina nodded.

“Julian is not sensitive to magic,” The Lotus said, “At all.”

Sabrina looked up, startled.

“That’s not true. When I cast a disguise on him he was able to feel it.”

“A direct spell, yes. Of course he can feel that. Any magic you cast on him, or near him, he will feel. But can he walk into a room and tell a magical tome from an ordinary one?”

“Well...no...”

“So he is only used to your magic because he is exposed to your magic regularly.”

Sabrina nodded.

“So any love _he_ has for you, my dear, is natural. So you can rest assured of that.”

Emotions shifted inside her, remembering the fight again.

“Now,” The Lotus said, “there are two things you need to know. One, is that your magic is untrained, and as such, dangerous. You need to train. You need to practice. Otherwise, you will be dangerous to those around you.”

Sabrina blinked, “I...what?”

“There is something inside you, child, that takes over. _It_ can command your magic, in ways _you_ cannot. It is dangerous. You were born with it, and since you died, it has fallen silent. Until now. Now it is waking up again. It opened it’s eyes in the Duke’s room when he was hurting Julian, and causing him to scream. Your need to protect him, to keep him safe, caused you to call to this other, and woke them up.”

Sabrina was silent, shocked.

“This power, this...other....must be controlled. Otherwise it can be very dangerous. To you. To those around you. But the worst thing you can do, is ignore it.”

“Wh-why?”

“Because then _it_ will learn to control _you.”_

“It....”

“You have already started seeing your magic changing, haven’t you? A new form of magic appearing, that only you can use?”

Sabrina fell silent. Memories of the runes she had started drawing. Catching things on fire.

“Yes. I...I draw runes. I’m not even aware I’m doing it, but....they start fires. And I was able to use them when I was kidnapped by Earlington. I don’t even recognize them, but....I do. Somehow.”

“Because you are _creating_ them. That is not magic here that you are calling on, Sabrina, but creating, drawing from another place. You are _making_ that magic, all on your own.”

Sabrina looked down, at her hands. After a moment, she looked up, “And...what’s the other thing?”

“As your magic grows, so too does it’s danger. To those around you.”

Sabrina leaned back on her heels slightly, “You...you mean Julian.”

“Yes. You mentioned a new magic. Runes, you said.”

“That’s right.”

“There hasn’t been a new Runecaller in a long time.”

“Is that....is...”

“Runecaller? Yes. That’s what they are called. Those who create new runes for magicians to use. They invent them. Create them. They call the runes to them. Call them _out_ of the world of magic, and into _our_ world. Old magic. Forgotten magic. And it has been a long time since we had a new Runecaller. The runes we use now, today, are old, and have lost some of their magic.”

“I don’t understand.”

The Lotus fell silent for a moment, then spoke.

“You’re young, and those around you are young as well. And while you have had encounters with the Arcana, they will not tell you. Magic, my child, is _ancient_. It is older than anything you can imagine. Older than the mountains, or the seas. And magic...waxes and wanes. It comes in strong, and it fades out. Hundreds of years pass in the blink of an eye, and the magic comes and goes. Many hundreds of years ago, magic was powerful. It could move the earth. Cities were created, civilizations were _born_ on magic. Places were things happened everyday that would make you and your friend Asra dumbfounded with shock.

But then the magic waned. Those civilizations fell. Now they are ruins. But the knowledge is still there, in scrolls, in books. Magicians seek those out, to relearn what was lost. That magic, in today’s time, cannot come back. Not until the world turns, the magic begins to _breathe_ again, and starts to wax. To grow.

People like you and me. People who can reach into that sleeping source of magic and pull it out....we are special. Unlike other magicians, we can birth it. Here, into _this_ world. We are, if it helps you to think of it, midwives for the old, lost magic, into the new world.”

Sabrina looked down at her hands again, fear fluttering in her heart slightly, “I’m...not...comfortable with this. Basically you’re saying I’m just creating a new magic all on my own. Or just bringing back the really old, powerful magic.”

“In a way, you are, yes.”

She looked up, “But what if I do it _wrong_?”

The Lotus paused, then laughed, delighted, “My dear child, you _can’t_ do it wrong. Because there is no template to judge it against. You could create a new rune in the shape of a bunny that causes great fire damage to anyone who touches it. It would not be wrong. Ugly....but not wrong.”

“So...I have to train. I have to get stronger. Control my magic, and this...other....so I don’t hurt anyone. I don’t hurt Julian.”

The Lotus nodded.

Sabrina spoke quietly, looking down at her hands again, “What if....what if I just...left? Went away? Far away, where I can’t hurt anyone?”

“And break his heart?”

Sabrina flinched.

“You _know_ I speak true. He would search for you for the rest of his life. Wondering what he did to drive you away. Even if you left a note, he would not believe it. Surely, _he_ had done _something_ wrong. Am I very far off the mark?”

Sabrina sighed, shaking her head, “No. No you’re not. That’s exactly what he’d do.”

“The two of you, my dear, are very powerful together. He has a...an aura about him. I don’t know yet what it means, but together you are very strong. You have been given a gift, you know. To have one that makes you so strong, and whom you love, and who loves you. Stories are told of people like that. Great ballads.”

Sabrina just nodded, still unhappy. There was so much to take in, so much she had been told.

The old woman smiled, “I like the both of you. You clearly love each other very much, and that makes an old dry heart happy. Come now, stand.”

Sabrina slowly pulled herself to her feet, “And what did you mean, I had become lost? That I was lost, so I wasn’t trained? You mean because I was orphaned? I was raised by my aunt, but I wasn’t lost.”

“Another time, my child. It’s not important right now, so do not cast your mind to it much.”

The Lotus motioned behind Sabrina, and she turned. There was now a doorway in the wall behind her again, only the hallway she had entered from was gone. Now there was a row of crates there, and what looked like the entrance to the messhall.

Sabrina looked back, “I...”

“You will talk to me again, yes. You have no mentor....so I will check with you from time to time. When you need me, look for this room.”

“Where do I-”

“Just look. Turn any corner expecting to find me, and you will.”

Sabrina sighed, turning and walking out the doorway, “That’s more cryptic than normal.”

Hearing no response, she turned back, to find herself looking at a blank wall.

“Damn it...”

 

He sat at a table in the messhall, back against the far rocky wall, in a far corner of the room. Nursing a cup of coffee in his bare hands, he looked into the depths, trying to make sense of what the old woman had told him.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to _do_ ,” he complained to the coffee, “She could have given me some sort of hint. A _clue_.”

He was going to have to find a way to repay the kitchen workers here – Julian was certain he was rapidly going through their coffee supply. But unable to find any alcohol here whatsoever, all he could turn to was the hot bitter taste of coffee.

“I have to talk to her, I suppose,” he mumbled to himself, “That much is apparent, only....what to _say_? She still risked her life. She did no testing, no experiments. And she didn’t tell me. She could have _died_.

Why didn’t she _tell_ me?

Was she really that afraid I might talk her out of it? Was it really that important to her?”

He sighed.

_I need to stop talking out loud to myself, people will think I’m mad._

_So...do we just...pretend it never happened?_

_I...I can do that. Maybe it’s best. Just...ignore it, Ilya. If you bring it up again you’ll start fighting again, and...and you don’t want to fight with her. It’s...awful, this unpleasant, tight feeling. Not able to touch her, or...._

He sighed.

“Ah. There you are.”

Julian lifted his head to see Johan standing there before him, hands clasped behind his back.

A sour, angry feeling swept through Julian, unpleasant and unfamiliar to him. Johan was the last person he wanted to see right now.

He couldn’t help but feel that this, all of this, was Johan’s fault. _He_ had filled Sabrina’s head with talk about how important it was to help the other magicians. _He_ was the one, Julian was sure of it, that had convinced Sabrina to risk herself by being the first to have the collar removed.

He was handsome, and charming, he was running the magician revolt. He was another magician, like Sabrina, and he knew.... _he knew_....that Johan didn’t like him. Which made him seem all the more suspicious.

“Yes,” Julian said blandly, “here I am.”

“I was, ah, wondering where Sabrina is. I need to talk to her.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do,” Julian answered dryly, “But unfortunately, I don’t know where she is.”

“I see.”

There was a pause. Julian refrained from making eye contact with Johan, trying to keep himself civil, when a part of him wanted to stand up and accuse the other man of putting Sabrina’s life in danger. But at the same time, he didn’t want to cause waves. There was always the fear Johan might kick him out.

Despite his trying to be somewhat civil, Johan clearly interpreted Julian’s blunt answers, and spoke, “I get the feeling you’re upset with me, Julian. Have I done anything to wrong you?”

Tensing up slightly, Julian looked up at Johan. The way he stood there, looking so...smug. Julian felt irritated, annoyed, and... _angry_.

“Oh like you don’t know,” he said, lips stretching to form a somewhat bemused smirk, “Going to pretend like you don’t know what’s upsetting me? Fine. I can play along.”

“Please do,” Johan said, voice flat.

Leaning forward, Julian’s inner voice was yelling at him to stop, but instead his mouth seemed to just blunder on ahead, single grey eye hard and cold, “You put her in _danger_. You pushed her into that spell to take off the collar, without any previous tests or experiments to even see if it was safe. Her head could have been blown off! And then... _then_! You filled her head talking about going out and risking herself for this war! She’s not a _fighter_ , Johan! She’ll get hurt, or _worse!_ ”

As Julian accused him, Johan’s face grew more and more stern, sour, until he was scowling fiercely at Julian, and when the doctor stopped, Johan spoke.

“I didn’t nothing of the sort. Sabrina came to me begging to be freed from the collar, and I asked her if she was sure. She said yes. Don’t you _dare_ blame that on me. I understand you’re upset over it, but you need to have a talk with her, not cast baseless accusations on me!”

Julian opened his mouth to speak, but Johan barged on.

“As for “filing her head”, Sabrina is perfectly capable of making up her own mind on such things! She’s a magician, Julian, something you can’t _possibly_ understand. It’s magicians who are dying here in Valdeer, and magicians who will save it, and if she joins us, yes, she will make a huge difference in this war.”

“She’s not a fighter! She’s not a soldier! You don’t know the _first thing_ about what happens in a war!”

 _“Don’t tell me what I do or don’t know!_ ” Johan suddenly roared at Julian, furious. He lowered his voice, but the venom was thick, “I know more about war than you think, Devorak, and I am perfectly aware of what I, and the other magicians here, are getting into.”

He leaned back slightly, readjusting his shirt. Glancing over his shoulder to the messhall behind him, Johan spoke again.

“Do yourself a favour, Devorak. Walk away from Sabrina, right now. Let her go.”

Julian gaped, open mouthed.

Johan continued, “You’re not a magician, and you’ll _never_ understand the ties that pull us. You’re already fighting over this, and this is mild compared to what will eventually come your way.”

Julian found his voice, and he spoke, angry, “I am getting _sick and tired_ of people telling me that we’re doomed to fall away from each other because she is a magician and I’m not. You, Earlington...everyone thinks we’re not going to make it. You’re wrong. I _refuse_ to let us fall apart from each other.”

Johan looked amused, “It’s bound to happen, Devorak. You can’t help it. Magicians should stick with magicians. You will never understand her.”

“According to Earlington, you’re all just waiting to stab everyone in the back to get more power and more magic,” Julian grated, “Apparently magicians only care about that, and to _hell_ with anyone they pretend to care about. But if you think I think Sab-”

 _“He said that, did he?_ ” Johan snarled, leaning forward, “Let me tell you about Earlington. _He’s_ the only one who loves power, and anyone who he thinks is standing in his way is fair game. Oh it’s _easy_ enough to _pretend_ to be loyal, but when push comes to shove, it’s a different story, isn’t it? He needs adoration and if you aren’t _completely_ on board with his ideas then you’re a traitor, and to _hell_ with everything else. But far, far easier for someone who doesn’t understand magic to curse it all and blame it for everything!”

Julian sat, staring at Johan, stunned at the outburst. It made no sense. What was he talking about? Why was he getting so upset over the enemy, when it was....

Suddenly, everything hit Julian like a bucket of cold water.

“Oh my God,” he said quietly, “You and Earlington. _You were lovers, weren’t you?”_

Johan rocked back as if he had been slapped, face losing the red of anger, and dropping to a pale hue. He looked around, smoothing his hair back into place, the action reaffirming where he was. He said nothing.

“It makes sense,” Julian said, still staring wide eyed at Johan, “Why you hate non-magicians so much, and why he hates them. Why you say you understand war.....why you were able to put together this...this entire resistance. How you know about managing resources and weapons, and.....you were in his _army. You helped him take over Valdeer!”_

“That...that’s _insane.”_

“Is it? Your anger at Earlington goes beyond that of just a military enemy. When we were first talking about him here in this very room, you took something he said personally.

What happened? Why did he turn against the magicians?”

Johan looked somewhat drained. He crossed his arms, looking every which way except at Julian for a moment, then spoke, shrugging defensively, “We were talking about dividing up the spoils. I, apparently, was far more interested in some tomes we found. He felt I should have been adoring him. We started fighting. I guess all the time we had been together, he couldn’t give a rat’s ass about my magic, I was just convenient for him....in more ways than one. I told him I was leaving. He became violent. Then I told him I was taking the tomes. He claimed they were his. I grabbed what I could, and left. That night, I heard he had declared all magicians traitors to the new crown, and I fled here.”

He made another motion of smoothing his hair, “He’s insane.”

Julian nodded, then narrowed his eyes, “And you only noticed it _then?_ I find that hard to believe. I think there was more than one in that relationship for convenience sake.”

Johan’s eyed widened, and he flushed furious, “How _dare_ you, you _bastard_. You don’t know anything about me.”

“And you don’t know anything about me. Or Sabrina.”

Johan smiled, a slow, cold smile, “It changes _nothing_ , Devorak. Magicians and non-magicians can never mix properly. You will never understand her. I stand by what I said earlier. Leave now, so the hurt is minimal, and find yourself someone non-magical and boring, like yourself, and let Sabrina free to find someone who will understand her.

Now. If you’ll excuse me....I have things to see to. Please let Sabrina know I’m looking for her.”

Tugging his clothing into place, Johan turned, and made his way out of the messhall. Julian tightened his hands on the now cold cup of coffee, resisting the urge to throw it at Johan’s back.

_Oh, damn you. Damn you to hell. You’re wrong. You’re wrong about us. Just because we’re different doesn’t mean anything. You knew perfectly well what Earlington was like, but you stayed because you got power from it as well. You think you understand her **better than me**?_

Julian straightened up, and lifting the cup of cold coffee, he downed it in one pull. Then, levering himself up from the chair, he turned, walking out of the messhall. He needed to find someone, and ask a favour.

 

Sabrina had wandered for a long time, walking the long tunnels of the Bolthole, her mind as lost as her body.

There was so much to consider. And that was going on the assumption that The Lotus wasn’t just crazy with age. Everything she had said...about being so powerful, about creating a new magic, about being a....a Runecaller. It sounded so crazy. Made up, like a child’s story.

But The Lotus’s power couldn’t be denied. That she had access to a...a portable dimension that could travel as it pleased, housing hundreds and hundreds of years worth of books....that she had been able to talk to her using her mind alone....Sabrina couldn’t get past all that. It lent credibility to what she was saying...unless The Lotus could be powerful and insane?

That was a cheery thought.

It explained a lot, though. Why she had somehow cast a spell that knocked Earlington’s men back on their asses, but had no memory of it. Why this new magic was just appearing out of nowhere.

And it gave her a path to walk. Something to do. Learn her new magic. Master it.

She had to....

For Julian.

A part of her still felt panicked. Run away. Hide. He had already been in danger from her, when her runes went haywire. And then at the Duke’s mansion. What if she had hurt him, too? He said it was only the fact he had been kneeling...

But The Lotus was right about him, too. If she left...even if she did leave him a note saying why she had left....Julian would chase her. He’d chase her to the ends of the earth, to ask what he had done wrong. What he could have done better. How to make it right. Even if she wrote a note in her own blood, specifically pointing out he did nothing wrong, it had nothing to do with him whatsoever.....she knew he would search for her all his life, to ask her how he could fix it, what he could do to change it.

She knew how much he loved her. It wasn’t conceit, because she loved him as much. It was why it hurt so much when he walked away from her that night so long ago at the pier, even though they had only been together a day. They were meant for each other. If he left...if he just vanished into thin air...she’d hunt him down, too.

So. She would train. She would learn to _control_ this magic. She’d ask Johan, and Asra, and anyone else to help her. And when she was back in Vesuvia, she’d go out into the fields and learn to call up her power and control it, far away from anyone she could hurt. She’d start hunting magic books and tomes, to learn all she could about spells and power.

Sabrina would not let this break her. She would master it.

Finally, after a few hours of wandering, thinking, and coming to decisions, she made her way to the messhall to eat. She had been hoping to find Julian there....and at the same time, felt apprehensive. Her stomach still hurt from their fight. But she decided that she didn’t care if he didn’t understand her magic. It wasn’t important. They loved each other, and that was all that mattered.

She’d find him, and apologize, and hope he forgave her.

Sabrina ate a late meal of stew and tea, the messhall mostly abandoned at this point. There was a group at the far end playing cards, and they invited her to join them, gambling for matchsticks, but she thankfully turned them down, and went looking for them.

Passing one room, she peered in and found Asra and a few others sitting on cushions, talking. Seeing her, Asra waved her in, and she slipped inside, going to stand beside him.

“Oh, it’s the new magician,” one of the others said, “A pleasure to meet you!”

“You helped discover how to take off the collars, didn’t you?” another asked, “You and a group of other magicians.”

“Ah...yes. A bunch of us, yeah.”

“Thank you! I’m getting mine off soon! I can’t wait! Just to know no one can recollect me...”

Sabrina smiled, then turned her attention to Asra, “Have you...seen Julian? I can’t find him.”

Asra looked up at her, his face serious, “He said he had some reading to do.”

Sabrina frowned, “Reading?”

“That’s what he said. Is...everything ok?”

Sabrina smiled, “Oh, it’s fine. Just....want to talk to him. Thanks.”

Waving goodbye to the others, she turned, and slipped out of the room again.

She went to all the places she knew of that had books in it. She went to the infirmary to see if he was looking up something in a book on herbs. No one had seen him. She considered trying to searching spell, but decided against it. Considering their fight, it almost seemed like...cheating, to actually hunt him down like that.

A heavy weight in her stomach, she decided to go back to their small room, and try to sleep. Maybe she’d be awake when he came in....

 _If_ he came in.

She let her feet carry her back to the couple’s quarters, and turned the corner to go to the small rock-cut room they shared.

Sabrina was startled to see the curtain was already pulled across and hooked. 

She reached out, and unhooked it, pulling it open, startled to see Julian in there. He was laying on the bed, back up against the rock wall, reading a smallish red book by the lantern light. His jacket was off, sleeves of a faded green shirt pushed up.

He jumped when the curtain was pushed back, and turned slightly, quickly stuffing the book he had been reading behind him, turning to her, wide-eyed, _“Sabrina!_ I, ah..I didn’t hear you...”

She just stood there, “Sorry, I...I didn’t mean to startle you.”

He gave her a weak smile, “Oh, it’s nothing...no harm done...” Rubbing his hands together, he glanced at her, then away, as if nervous to meet her gaze. His eyes moved around the small room, “Are you..ah...coming in?”

 _Do you want me to?_ , she wanted to ask, but instead just slipped inside, and pulled the curtain closed, rehooking it again. Again, she felt the soft whisper as the privacy spell settled around the curtain.

Sabrina just stood there, not sure what to say or do. She felt so horribly awkward.

“Did you eat?”

“Oh! Yes..er...I had some stew earlier. It’s very good. Er...I wonder how they...er...manage to get all the ingredients out here?”

Sabrina watched as he continued to rub his hands together, twisting long fingers.

 _Oh to hell with it_ , she thought, _I need to grow up and be a big girl._

She took a deep breath, “Julian I have to talk to you.”

He looked up at her, alarmed. Dismay was on his face, grey eyes dark with worry. He swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing, then spoke.

“I..uh...listen, before you start....”

“No, I need to say this. I need to get it off my chest.”

Sabrina moved forward, and knelt beside him, facing him. Julian leaned forward slightly, shaking his head, “No, I..er..I need to explain something-”

“Julian, I’m sorry. I treated you terribly and I’m _so sorry.”_

He opened his mouth to continue speaking, but stopped, blinking. Clearly confused, he frowned faintly at her, “I...I’m sorry? I don’t understand....”

Taking a deep breath, Sabrina reached out, and took a hold of his hands. They were cooler than normal, and she cradled them between hers, looking him in the eye.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t have had the collar removed without doing tests on it first. It was _wrong_ of me. It was _reckless._ I panicked, but I shouldn’t have done that. I’m always telling you to calm down and think before you act, and here I just ran out blindly and did something stupidly _dangerous.”_

“Sabri-”

“But _worse,”_ she said, her voice trembling, “was that I didn’t let you _know_. I was risking my life, and that affected _yours_. I would be so _angry_ with you if _you_ did that to _me_....but here I went and did it to _you_ , and that wasn’t _fair_. I...I didn’t consider how _you’d_ feel about this, Julian, not at all, and I’m so _ashamed and sorry I hurt you._ ”

Julian gently shook his head, raising one of his hands and gently cupping her cheek. He spoke, softly, “It’s ok, Sabrina. I....I understand why you did it. I mean, I understand that it must have been so terrible for you, and...”

“No, it’s _not_ ok, Ilya. It’s _not_.” She angrily brushed away the tears that were forming, “What I did was awful and terrible, and I feel so awful and I’m just so sorry, and I hope you can forgive me for just ignoring _your feelings_ over all this-”

“Sssh, Sabrina, darling. Don’t cry, you know I hate to see you cry-”

“No, I _deserve_ to cry, I was _terrible_ to you.”

“Oh..oh, shh..” Julian leaned forward, sliding his arms around her, pulling her in against him, guiding her head to his shoulder, “We were both upset, we....we both said stupid things.”

“But I was so awful,” Sabrina sniffled, resting her head on his shoulder, slipping her arms around him, “I made such a big deal out of everything. And I betrayed your trust, and....and...”

“Stop. Stop.”

Pulling back, Julian tried to hush her, but Sabrina just kept talking, blaming herself, apologizing, sniffling. He gave up trying to get her to stop, and instead started gently kissing her face, cheeks, chin, forehead, until, finally, she gave up, falling silent. She leaned in against him, holding him tightly. She felt utterly terrible, upset and angry with herself.

Julian gently smoothed her hair until she calmed down some, kissing her temple occasionally.

“Do you forgive me?” she asked.

“Oh...of _course_ I forgive you, my darling. I couldn’t _not_ forgive you. I know you didn’t mean to be upsetting, I know you’d never hurt me. We were both so upset....please don’t cry.”

"All I've done since I leftVesuvia is cry. I've cried more these past few weeks than in my life." Sabrina continued to rest against him, her hands gently sliding up and down his back, “Now I’ve gone and made your shirt all damp.”

He softly chuckled, “Well, you have magic to dry it off.”

She smiled in spite of herself.

One of her hands sliding down over his hip encountered the sharp edge of something, and curiously, she grasped it, leaning back and tugging it out.

She just managed to see it was a small red book, before he shifted, grasping it quickly, “Oh, there’s no need to worry about that, just something I was looking at-”

“Wait, it...Julian, is...”

“It..it’s just a book...”

They both had a hold of it, neither one really pulling it from the other. Sabrina was just about to let go – he seemed uncomfortable with her seeing it – when he seemed to give up first, and let go. He stammered faintly, “It..it’s just....y-you know, I just thought I’d...er....”

Turning the small thin book around, she looked at the cover. On it was what looked like a quill and inkwell crossed over each other, and the words “Magic and You!” embossed on the cover in gold foil.

She looked up at Julian, confused, “What _is_ this?”

Julian had turned pink. He didn’t meet her eyes, just kept his gaze on the book, “It’s...er, just....you know...ah...a book about magic.”

“But where did you _get_ it?”

Leaning forward slightly, Julian pressed his hands together, thumbs tucked under his chin, long fingers grazing over his nose, “From..ah...well, there’s a school here, you see....for the children. To teach them magic. I, ah....I know that normally magic is...ah...taught by...well... _apprentices_...but here they can’t get...you know...personal apprentices, so they do it...er...another way. In classes. And these are...well...books they had created for the children. They’re...erm....children’s primers.”

Sabrina looked from the book to Julian’s face, back to the book, then back to his face, “And you....you borrowed one...to read.”

Julian turned redder, “Well...I mean....you were right about me....well...not understanding you and your magic, so I...er...decided I’d start learning. But I’d best....erm....start at the very beginning as I don’t have a....well, a grasp of the more.... _esoteric nature_ of it all.”

Sabrina stared at him, unable to believe what she was hearing. That he had gone out and done this....secretly....to try and understand her better....a doctor capable of surgery...a man as educated and well travelled as Julian...to go and borrow a _children’s primer_ to try and learn...

Sabrina tried to say something, and started to cry again.

“Oh..no..please, don’t cry!”

Dropping the book, Sabrina reached out with her hands, gently cupping his face, tears streaming foolishly down her face, _“Oh you sweet, wonderful, beautiful man....oh Ilya...”_

She leaned forward, hugging him tightly again, clinging him, angry at herself for crying yet again, and at the same time so touched by it was unable to do anything else.

“You....you’re not upset?”

“No! No why would I be upset? No! Oh Ilya...my beautiful Ilya...to do this for me....you _do_ understand me! You know what I want half the time before I want it! You bring me tea when I don’t even ask, and you know when I’m getting tired and make me sleep, and you bring me magic books and things you think I’d like!”

Julian pulled her in closer, nuzzling her shoulder, “But I want to understand you _better_. If I understand how it works at least a little better, I can help you more. And I love to help you. I just....I don’t know how many more children’s books I can find once we’re back home.”

Leaning back, Sabrina shuffled forward to sit in his lap, curling her arms around him, pulling his arms around her. Sniffling a little, she gave him a watery smile, “How about we make a deal?”

Julian reached up, using a thumb to wipe the last few tears from her face, “A deal?”

Sabrina nodded, “Once a week, I’ll teach you about magic. I’ll start right from the beginning, like you were my first time apprentice. Even if you can’t ever do magic, I can teach it to you, how it works, the theories, the different schools, everything.”

Julian nodded.

She spoke again, “And in return, once a week, you teach me about science. About it’s theories and schools and how it works, and what a “double blind test” means because I have no idea. We’ll each teach the other about the things that’s important to us. Deal?”

Julian stared at her, then smiled softly, “That sounds wonderful. I’d like that. _Very much.”_

Sabrina smiled, and leaned in, claiming his lips with her, lightly drawing her fingertips along his jawline. She felt Julian’s hands settled on her shoulders, then slide down her back, drawing her in, pulling her tightly against him. They remained that way for a few minutes, until finally, she drew back for air. Julian was flushed, watching her almost hungrily.

Still smiling, she gently pulled the hem of his shirt out from his pants, and slipped her hands under, sliding her palms up over his stomach and chest. She grinned when his breath caught.

“I’m becoming a little hungry, Doctor Devorak,” she said, “and you’re looking good enough for a nibble.”

Turning a little darker still, Julian blinked at her, “You mean... _here_?”

“Here. Now,” she smiled coyly.

“I..uh...have no complaints, but you know we can both be a little.... _vocal_...”

Sabrina leaned back a little, watching him as she thought. She turned towards the curtain, “Hey! Fire! There’s a fire in here!”

Julian jumped, “ _What are you doing!?”_

Sabrina turned back, putting a finger to his lips, “Ssshh.”

There was silence. After the space of ten heartbeats, she looked back to him. Arching a brow, Sabrina lowered her finger from his lips and grinned at him, “I think the privacy spell is working....”

Julian’s lips stretched in a smile of his own, “Oh? Well, then, in that case.... _come here_...”

 

After, they lay in each other’s arms, catching their breath. They both drifted in that warm glow of satisfaction from lovemaking, a faint sheen of sweat on their bodies cooling in the warm air of the tunnels.

She lay on her back, he lay half atop her, resting his head on her chest. They both had their eyes closed, the lantern having been extinguished a while ago. It was dark, and comfortable, a small safe place where only they existed.

Sabrina was drowsily running her fingers through his hair. A part of her didn’t want to interrupt this happy, peaceful time, but another part of her knew it had to be discussed. And seeing they were together, so close....maybe this was the best time.

She spoke, her whisper almost silent in case he had already slipped over the edge into sleep, “Julian?”

“Mmmm?”

“I....I want to stay. And help them.”

There was silence. She felt his body tense up, and knew he was rising up out of sleep sharply. Lifting his head, he looked at her. In the dim light filtering in from the lanterns outside each small curtained room, she could see the worry on his face. He spoke softly, _“Sabrina.”_

She raised a hand, bringing it to his cheek, and spoke gently, “I want to talk about it. Not fight, not yell. You’re going to talk to me about your worries and concerns, and we’re going to work out something we are both comfortable with. Because that’s what couples do.”

He lowered his head, letting out a deep sigh, resting his face against her chest. She felt him shift slightly, and she tightened her arm, afraid he was pulling away, but he was only levering himself up on his elbows, to better look her in the eye.

“You don’t know what war is _like_ , Sabrina. You’ve never been in a war....at least not that you can remember. I’m pretty sure you would have mentioned being in one in the last three years.”

They spoke gently, their voices soft, even though no one outside could have heard.

“I know that,” she said, still touching his face with her fingertips, “I’m not a child, I know how horrible it must be...but I also know if I walk away, Ilya, I don’t think I could ever live with myself. Knowing that there were other magicians like me who had to fight. Who endured years to my weeks. Other couples like us who were torn apart, perhaps forever because one was killed. I don’t know if I could look at myself in the mirror.”

Shadows passed over his face, and he looked away for a minute. She traced the line of his jaw with her thumb, “I know you have nightmares about it. I hear you talk in your sleep sometimes. Ordering more bandages, or....promising someone they’d be ok. Sometimes I....hear you sob.”

He said nothing.

“You’re not comfortable talking about it, I’m sorry. I just want you know that I’m not going into this blindly. If it affected you so much...but I don’t know if I can just walk away.”

He lowered his head again, resting his face against her shoulder, his long nose lightly poking into her skin, “I don’t talk about it because it’s not something I want you to know. What I saw. The.. _choices_ I had to make.”

Sabrina raised her hand from his cheek, sliding it into his hair again, her other arm resting across his bare back, “But you can’t carry it all alone all the time, Ilya. Please talk to me the next time it happens.”

There was silence, and for a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to speak. After a few moments, he spoke, very quietly.

“But it will ruin my macho image.”

She laughed at his attempt at a joke, leaning down and kissing his temple, “Oh, you have _plenty_ of machismo left over.”

He chuckled.

They were quiet, him resting against her, her hand in his hair, right palm smoothing over his back.

Eventually, he lifted his head, and studied her face in silence. She returned the look, silent, until eventually, he spoke.

“You know I’m coming with you.”

Alarm shot up her spine, _“What?”_

“I’m coming with you. You don’t think I’m just going to sit back here and twiddle my thumbs while you’re out there risking yourself?”

“Ilya-”

“ _No_ , Sabrina.”

“They might not let you.”

Silence. A frown crossed his face, and he shifted slightly, “Johan should take all the help he can get.”

“He should, yes. But if we’re out there casting spells....what would you do? I love that you want to be beside me, darling, but...”

He cursed, startling her, then looked away, “You’re probably right. Non-magicians aren’t important enough to help.”

Sabrina frowned, “Ilya-”

“I’ll set up a triage site then,” he said, clearly unhappy, “if they’ll have me. At least I know about _that_.”

“Ilya, stop.” The thought of him going back into the very thing that gave him nightmares before unsettled her. She paused, then spoke again.

“I...had been hoping you’d...go back to Vesuvia.”

He gawked at her.

 _“It was only a thought!”_ she said.

Startling her, he just grunted, dropping his head to her shoulder again, “No.”

Sabrina smiled, “Alright then. But maybe you can help in some-”

“I’m a doctor. This is how I’ll help the best.”

She wanted to argue.....but then she’d just be doing to him exactly what she didn’t want him doing to her.

_Love is damned confusing._

He spoke, “You must promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“Promise me you won’t risk yourself _stupidly_. No useless heroics. No charging into danger when the end result isn’t worth your life.”

She was silent, so he raised his head and looked at her, sternly, “I mean it, Sabrina. Please. Don’t...put yourself in unnecessary danger.”

He looked so adamant, so firm...it was unlike him, and like when he had tried to assert control when they had been fighting, she found herself feeling almost proud. Even in this, he was gaining self confidence. Not begging. Not pleading. Asking, but calmly. Firmly.

“I promise,” she said softly, tracing his lips with her thumb, “I promise. I’ll keep you in mind the entire time. I know now my actions affect you, and I won’t put you through anything unfairly.”

He watched her face in silence for a moment, then raised his hand, laying it atop hers. He turned his head and kissed her palm, then leaned forward and kissed her.

“Miss Brackenridge, I swear, if you get hurt I’ll carry you back to Vesuvia over my shoulder, tie you up and keep you in bed for months.”

She attempted to arch a brow as he often did, “Is that a promise?”

He gawked at her, and barked a laugh, “You’re a wanton woman.”

“And you love me for it.”

“Oh yes, very much.”

He slid his arms back under her, resting against her again, resting his head against her chest. She sighed, relieved that was over. After a moment, he spoke again.

“So you’ll be trained by Johan? To fight?”

Sabrina was silent for a second, then slid her hands up to his back again, “Yes. I don’t have any experience in using my magic offensively. Just defensively.”

“Just....be careful.”

“I will. I think Johan will be a good teacher.”

He grunted.

Sabrina frowned, “Julian?”

“Nothing.”

She paused, then spoke, “I know you don’t like him, Julian. I’m...not fond of him either.”

Julian stirred, lifting his head and looking intently at her, “You...you aren’t?”

Remembering her own reaction to him, to his first refusal to allow Julian within the Bolthole....remembering what The Lotus told her about magicians being drawn to her magic but not because of love....she shook her head.

“Not especially.”

He silently studied her face, searching her eyes for something. She wasn’t sure what he found, but his expression cleared, and he suddenly seemed more settled. A little calmer.

“Good,” he said, and leaned in, stole a kiss. Before she could ask him what that was all about, he rested his head against her chest again, and seemed ready to settle for the night.

Sabrina decided not to press it any further. They had managed to come to an agreement that both could live with, and she decided to let it go.

They stayed that way, slowly slipping down into sleep together.

 

The next morning, she awoke before him, a rarity in itself. Something seemed to tug at her mind, and for a few minutes she lay, confused, until she realized she was simply picking up on the magic being cast within the Bolthole. She wasn’t used to sensing so much magic in one area. It was similar to hearing a large crowd of people, whispering.

She blocked it out, and turned her attention to Julian.

They had moved in their sleep – no longer was he resting half atop her. Now they were both on their backs, she was half on his chest, head on his shoulder. Both their arms and legs were sprawled, taking up more room than the mattress gave, legs and feet resting on the floor.

Sabrina cautiously angled her head to peer up at him as he slept.

It was always fascinating to her to watch him sleep. It was seldom he was so still. Julian was almost always in motion; moving, tapping, rubbing hands together. Utter stillness was so odd.

Her eyes took in his face, the lashes as dark as his hair. The proud jut of his nose, the sharp angle of his jaw, the angle of the Adam’s Apple in his throat. She felt like she could draw him from memory, sometimes. His entire body seemed angular, sharp elbows and knees. Yet he was never uncomfortable to lay against. He had just enough meat on his bones to save him from being bony.

A faint frown formed on her face as she continued to gaze at him. There were faint shadows under his eyes.

As pale as Julian was, it was difficult for him to hide illness or fatigue on his face; the shadows formed around his eyes easily. Normally they appeared when he spent all night studying a new medical text. Now, however, she knew it was from stress and worry.

_When we get out of this, we’re taking a vacation, she silently promised him, just you and me, somewhere quiet. Just the two of us._

Content, she continued to watch him sleep, until a short while later, he stirred, rising up from the depths of sleep. A slight shift, a change in breathing, and slowly, his eyes opened. It took him a second to really become aware, and when his eyes focused on hers, he slowly smiled.

“What a nice thing to wake up to,” he drowsed.

Sabrina smiled, rolling over to curl against him, slipping an arm around his chest, “And a good morning to you, too. Sleep well?”

“Mmm-hmm. You?”

She nodded. He slid an arm around her, and they just stayed like that for a few minutes, shaking off the last of the sleep before she sat up. Sliding from the mattress, she reached for her clothing, “I am utterly starving. You?”

“Not really. I do-”

“Want coffee, yes.”

“I should go out and buy several barrels. I’m pretty sure I’ve put a massive dent in their supply, all by myself.” Julian sat up, reaching for his own clothing.

They dressed as they talked.

“What’s the plan for today?” he asked her, pulling on his long boots.

Pulling her shirt on over her head, she spoke, “I don’t know about you, but I guess I’m going to start learning to use my magic offensively. We don’t know-”

Sabrina paused, fighting with her shirt. One of the arms was inside out and refusing to allow her hand through. With a faint chuckle, Julian leaned over, giving her help.

“-Don’t know when this stupid fighting is going to start, so I best get ready, I suppose.”

Popping her head out through the neck, she started tugging her clothing into place. Julian absently planted a kiss on her temple, “I suppose I best look into what can be taken out of here and used on a battlefield triage, then.”

Sabrina paused, looking back at him. She opened her mouth, but he shook his head, speaking firmly.

“No. We stay together. _Always._ Like you said, bad things happen when we get separated.”

His resolve made her smile, and she nodded. While she still didn’t like the thought of him going into a similar situation that gave him nightmares....she respected his commitment, and loved the strength he used. He wasn’t asking her. He was telling her. They were a couple, and they stayed together.

They both slipped out to use the bathroom and wash up, putting on the same clothing they had worn yesterday. They would both visit the clothier within the Bolthole and pick up another set of clothing, and have these washed. A second set would be nice.

Out in the messhall, Sabrina looked at the line up, and glanced up at Julian, “Are you sure you don’t want anything? Just coffee?”

He nodded, readjusting his eyepatch. Only a few knew he wasn’t contagious, wasn’t carrying the Red Plague, and so he was careful to always wear it when not in their small quarters.

“You grab us a seat, then, and I’ll get your coffee. And an egg, just in case.”

“Deal.”

He watched her as she moved to the end of the line, already chatting with a few of the other magicians also lined up, before turning and making his way to a table. As usual, with the room so full, he preferred a place to sit more in the back, where he could put his back to a wall. Years of habit.

Stretching out his long legs under the table, Julian leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. He wondered how his clients back in Vesuvia was taking his absence. He had only been able to leave a hurried note on his clinic before he left, apologizing for any trouble. He was starting to think he might have to either search out another doctor nearby to share out the load, or even take on an apprentice of his own to at least teach some emergency training, when a voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Devorak.”

Blinking out of his reverie, Julian looked up to see Johan approaching. He seemed put out by something, his face irritated. He clearly did not want to speak with Julian again, and wasn’t even trying to hide it.

“Yes?”

“Where is Sabrina?”

Julian kept his eyes on Johan, but nodded towards the line up, “Grabbing breakfast. Can I help you with anything?”

“Did you tell her yesterday I was looking for her, as I asked?”

Julian blinked for a second, realization flooding back to him, “Oh. Er, no, I’m sorry. I forgot.”

“Conveniently.”

Irritation boiled in Julian’s stomach again. Why was it so hard for this individual to have even the slightest sense of manners? He had just apologized.

“Despite what you want to think, I don’t keep things from Sabrina. Even though you and I don’t...see eye to eye, I wouldn’t keep anything from her. We started talking and I forgot. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t see eye to eye? That’s a cute way of simplifying it.”

“Johan-”

“I’m telling you again, Julian. Just let her go. Your relationship will always be rocky. It’s too difficult, and you’ll never understand her properly.”

“You’re very concerned about our relationship, aren’t you?”

Their voices were becoming strained, but were still in normal conversation range. The place was too crowded, and neither wanted to draw a crowd.

Johan shifted, crossing his arms, “I just hate to see magicians and non-magicians together. It’s a waste.”

Julian sat up straighter, fighting down indignation, “A waste? In what manner!? Who is the waste?”

“Devorak-”

 _“That’s quite enough.”_ A tray with food and coffee was thumped down on the table, interrupting the two men. Neither had seen Sabrina approach, and both seemed extremely uncomfortable.  
Sabrina pushed the tray of food back on the table, and turned. She walked to stand alongside Julian, looking across the table at Johan. Her face was stony and shadowed, but she also kept her voice level.

“Johan, I’ve made up my mind. I am going to stay, and learn to fight.”

Johan’s face broke out in a smile, “That’s wonderfu-”

“But you don’t concern yourself with my and Julian’s relationship. That is completely off limits to you.”

There was a sudden silence.

She continued to speak, “You’re wrong about Julian. He _does_ understand me. _Me_. Not just my magic, but _me_. Who I am. How I work, what makes me tick. You’ve made the mistake of assuming I am only my magic, and there is nothing else beyond that. Julian reminds me my magic is powerful, but it is a part of me, like every other part of me.

I’m staying to fight, and if you’ll teach me, then I’ll learn. But this....”

Sabrina raised a hand, and slipped it across Julian’s shoulders, “This isn’t up for conversation. _Ever_. Understand?”

The two men were deathly silent. She couldn’t see Julian’s face from where she was standing, but Johan had turned red with embarrassment. He was looking around the room, at anything other than Sabrina, clearly feeling awkward.

“Yes...of course. Sorry.”

Sabrina nodded. “Julian is staying as well. To help. He’ll set up a triage station when the fighting starts, and any injuries taken that can’t be magically healed, he’ll see to.”

Johan looked sharply at her, “That’s not necessary. We don’t-”

“Then we’ll both be leaving.”

Beside her, she felt Julian shift faintly. Johan looked alarmed, “But-

“Julian and I are a team. We work together. If you want me, you accept him. Besides, he’s an excellent battlefield doctor. You don’t realize it yet, _but you’re lucky to have him here._ ”

Trapped, Johan nodded, “Very well. Agreed.”

There was silence, as no one really knew where to go from there. After a second, Sabrina spoke, “I’ll seek you out for training after breakfast, then.”

“Yes. Right. I’ll see you later.”

Johan turned, and walked out of the messhall, swiftly.

Letting out a breath, Sabrina watched him leave. She had been returning to the table with the food when she saw Johan approach Julian and start talking. She saw Julian’s body language change instantly, tense and stiff. She knew Johan wasn’t fond of non magicians, but for Julian to have responded that way....and she remembered their conversation the night before, and how oddly relived he had seemed when she told him she wasn’t overly fond of Johan herself.

Frowning, she had approached, listening intently, and had picked up much more than she had realized was going on.

Now, sighing, she walked around the table, and sat opposite Julian, shaking her head. She picked up the coffee cup and laid it before Julian, “How long has he been doing that?”

“Er...”

Sabrina looked up to see Julian gazing at her with a look of adoration on his face, a soft blush marking his pale skin. In response, Sabrina felt her own skin heating up, and laughed, feeling silly, the two of them just blushing at each other.

“For a while now,” he finally answered softly, “not fond of the two types mixing.”

“He’s a jerk. An idiot. An idiotic jerk. And more, I just can’t say it here in the messhall.” Her eyes suddenly widened, and she looked at him, “Oh Julian, I’m so sorry. He was saying that to you, and then I was getting on you about not understanding me, and..and..”

Julian reached across the table, taking her hand, and spoke softly, “It’s fine. We both had some worries, but...we’re past them now. We’ll work anything out, won’t we?”

She smiled at him, “Yes. We will. I love you, Ilya Devorak.”

He kept her hand in his, picking up the coffee with the other. A warm glow inside him, remembering her words to Johan. Simple, but so important to him.

... _“You’re wrong about Julian. He does understand me. Me. Not just my magic, but me. Who I am....Besides, he’s an excellent battlefield doctor. You don’t realize it yet, but you’re lucky to have him here.”_...

He smiled at her, “I can do you one better. I adore you, Sabrina Brackenridge.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old friends, power harnessed, overcome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * in the past, this was assumed to be what was done for someone suffering a seizure. NEVER force anything in a seizing person's mouth.

That afternoon, Sabrina began her training.

Julian knew he couldn’t be there – he’d only stand around and watch, and most likely ask too many questions and irritate everyone, so he decided to go back to the infirmary. In all the Bolthole, if he couldn’t be with Sabrina, the infirmary gave him the most sense of security. Here he understood how things worked. He was surrounded by familiar things and felt more peaceful, even though others might not find scalpels or medicines calming.

He had been walking through the small area when the head healer, Gerald, approached him again. There were four younger magicians in tow behind him, all watching Julian with interest.

“Doctor,” he greeted him. Julian smiled, “Gerald.”

“Sabrina tells me you’re thinking of setting up a triage station when the fighting starts. That’s a wonderful idea.”

Julian blinked, “That was quick. When did she tell you that?”

“I passed her a little earlier in the halls. And I was glad she did, because I had been trying to figure out a way to approach you on something myself, actually.”

“Oh?”

“These magicians behind me-” Gerald cocked a thumb over his shoulder, “ - and myself, all want you to teach us medicine.”

Julian blinked, not quite sure he had actually heard what he thought he heard, “Er...I’m sorry?”

Gerald smiled, “Doctor Devorak, what you did with Rebecca has taught me that magic can’t solve _everything_. We were doing everything we could to help her, but hadn’t even figured out what was _wrong_ with her, let alone find a way to help her. And I’ll be blunt. Even if we had known, I don’t know how magic could have helped her. We can’t see the...thing you were talking about, the organ. We really don’t have a way of reducing inflammation, and we wouldn’t have had a way of getting the poison out. Magic can heal a lot of injuries – not life threatening ones. Cuts, even deep ones – if not bleeding too badly. Some burns, if the skin isn’t too damaged. Broken bones. All painful but not lethal.”

“I’m not sure I can just....teach you,” Julian said quietly, “It’s not something we can cover in a day, or even several. In that regard it’s like magic. You couldn’t teach me to move a house with magic in a week, it takes _years_.”

“You don’t need to teach us much,” one of the young magicians behind Gerald chirped. She was a pretty young thing, bright blue eyes, hair so blond it was almost white, “We know how to fix magical injuries, so you only need to show us the other stuff!”

Julian glanced down at the tips of his boots to hide his smile and not embarrass her. She reminded him so much of Pasha – so eager and sure of herself. After a moment though, his smile faded, and he raised his head.

“I’m sure you do. But this isn’t going to be a magical fight.”

Gerald was silent. He had stepped aside, and was letting Julian and his young apprentices talk.

They looked confused, “What do you mean?” “Of course it’s a magical fight! We’re magicians!”

“But the other side isn’t.” Julian said.

The young magicians fell silent.

“The other side – your enemy – _aren’t_ magicians. They won’t be using magic against you. They’ll be using weapons. _Lethal_ weapons.”

They stared at him, blankly.

Julian felt his temper start a rise a tiny bit, “Doesn’t anyone here have _any_ idea what _war_ is? How it works? What it _entails_?”

More silence.

Turning fully towards the young magicians, Julian studied them with a single grey piercing gaze, “War isn’t about fighting with magic. War isn’t about launching pretty spells across an open field. Maybe Johan has you doing that in practice here, but while you’re doing that, the other side is going to be shooting arrows at you. Running at you, possibly on horses, with spears and swords.”

“ _We know that_ ,” one of the magicians, a dark haired boy almost as tall as Julian himself was, spoke. He seemed insulted, “We’re going to use spells to hold back the arrows and spears. We’re not going to be just standing there with our fingers up our noses!”

“ _Wonderful_!” Julian grated, “And if they have flintlocks? You going to try and see a piece of lead the size of your thumbnail coming at you and block it? Let me know when you do, I would dearly love to watch!”

Gerald cleared his throat gently.

Julian drew back, taking a deep breath and resetting himself.

Gerald spoke to his charges, “Doctor Devorak has spent a very long time in an army, Geoff. He knows more about it than either of us here. His anger is coming from a desire not to have anyone hurt.”

“Yes,” Julian sighed, rubbing his face with his gloved hands, and readjusting his eye patch, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t jump. It’s just....”

He lowered his hands, and gazed at them. All so young. All so _eager_ , so full of life. How many like them had he seen on his operating table? How many had he watched the life fade from their eyes?

“War is one of those things you can’t _understand_ until you’ve seen it. You think it sounds wonderful. Adventure! A _challenge_! And people talk to you about camaraderie, and brothers in arms, and it all sounds thrilling!

And it can be. It _can_.

But it’s also terrifying when you’re confused because your plans just fell through. Or your commander who is giving you orders get killed on the spot and now you have no idea what to do. Or when your best friend is lying beside you with a life threatening injury and you’re being told that you have to leave him behind or you’ll die too. And when the enemy is running towards you with their swords out, it’s a hard decision to make. And you won’t always chose the one you _think_ you will.”

“Then teach us _how_ to help!” the young blonde said, stepping forward, “We don’t all want to fight, but we want to help! Show us how to heal non magical injuries. Teach us what to do!”

Julian stood there, at a loss. None of these people before him had any training in the basics. And they had no idea what they were asking. 

“You realize it won’t be easier?” Julian said, quietly, “It can be worse.”

Geoff grunted, “Why don’t you just admit you don’t want our help? Save us all the hassle?”

“ _Geoff_.” Gerald warned.

“I’m trying to make you understand what you’re _asking_ ,” Julian snapped, “Because you have no idea-”

“You don’t want us to fight, so why not do something easier back here helping the injured?”

Irritation surged forward in Julian’s head and heart, and he found himself speaking sharper than he had intended.

“Easier? You think it’s _easier_ back in the hospital?! What do you think _happens_ to all those wounded fighting? Where do you think they _go_ , with their legs hanging off, and their arms hanging off, and half their faces missing, bones protruding, guts hanging out!? When they’re screaming in pain and crying and begging for their mothers and begging you not to let them die but you _know_ they’re going to die because they’ve literally been cut in half with a sword! _You think that’s easier!?_ ”

There was a stunned silence. Julian was horribly aware of his harsh breathing, and took a deep breath, looking away. He tried to tug his clothing back into place, fighting for time to readjust himself, to get back some semblance of dignity. When he finally looked up again, he saw the youths staring at him with pale faces, wide eyes.

Wincing, he looked towards Gerald, and started to apologize, but the elder healer waved it away with a hand, “You only speak the truth, Doctor. And we do not punish for speaking the truth.”

He looked back at the small group of magicians who had followed him into the infirmary, and spoke, “So. Now you know your options. Do you still want to learn to heal?”

They looked away, shuffling their feet for a moment. The tall boy, Geoff, remained pale. He looked at his feet, and shook his head. After a moment, in silence, he turned, and slipped out of the room.

The other three remained. After a moment, the young blonde stepped forward. She was still pale, but steadfast, “Please, Doctor Devorak. Teach me what I would need to know to help people.”

Behind her, the other two glanced at each other, then likewise nodded, and stepped forward.

Gerald looked to Julian.

Slowly, Julian drew his gloved hand down over his face again, taking a deep breath.

Hand now over his mouth and lower half of his face, he silently gazed at the three before him. After a moment, he dropped his hand.

“Oh to hell with it. _Fine_. Get something to write with, there are going to be a lot of notes. First off, what triage means, and how you do it.”

They scattered.

 

“Again.”

Sabrina cursed under her breath, and drew her magic down to her fingertips. Raising her hands, she lashed out, sending several missiles flying out and towards a dummy target at the other end of the room. The magic striking the dummy was strong enough to knock it backwards off the rack it was attached to, but it only plopped down to the floor, to lay, looking mildly put out.

“Sabrina-”

“I know!” she snapped, “I know. I’m barely pushing the dummy off the rack. I’m supposed to knock it back at least a few feet. I could do more damage if I walked up and _blew_ on it!”

Johan was standing back away from Sabrina, several feet, to her left. He stood, arms crossed, watching her. It had been his idea to set up a target and see what she could do to it. A simple human-shaped burlap sack stuffed with straw. It should have been easy enough to send it flying.

And yet, she couldn’t.

Pushing her hair back out of her face, she cast a look towards Asra. He stood to her right, closer than Johan, his arms also crossed, but a look of unhappy unease on his face. Sabrina knew he wasn’t happy with what she was doing. Unknown to her, however, both Asra and Julian had agreed Sabrina shouldn’t be left alone with Johan while trying to learn offensive magic. They both worried he might push her too hard, and at least Asra had a reason to be there. He had been her master not too long ago.

“Asra, what’s going on?”

Frowning, Asra stepped forward, letting his arms drop.

“I don’t know. It feels like you’re having trouble concentrating again.”

“Like before. Back in the palace.”

“Yes....”

She huffed in frustration, rubbing her hands together.

“This is so _irritating_! It’s there, it’s _right there_! I can _feel_ it! It’s like when you have a name or a word right on the tip of your tongue, but you can’t remember. It’s. Right. There!”

“Maybe you should stop, take a break...”

“She only started a short while ago,” Johan said, walking over to stand beside them now, “If she stops she might lose what she’s gained so far.”

Asra narrowed his eyes at Johan, “What she’s gained? She hasn’t _done_ anything. A child could do what she’s managed to do.”

Sabrina scowled at him, and he blinked, “I...sorry, I just mean-”

“I know what you mean. I can’t access my magic.”

“You can’t access _violent_ magic, no,” Asra emphasized, “Offensive. Aggressive. I told you, it’s not something your magic takes to easily.”

“But I knocked everyone on their asses in the mansion,” Sabrina shook her head, “I can.. I just....”

“Magic is magic,” Johan said to Asra, “There’s no reason she can’t master this.”

“It’s a completely different school than what she’s used to!” Asra argued.

“You’re trying to say someone who can do one type can’t do another? That’s wrong! They might not be able to actually master it, but she can still do it! Or are you trying to say she can only do one type?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying and you know it,” Asra snapped.

Sabrina stepped away from the two bickering, and glared at the target.

There was no reason she shouldn’t be able to do this. The Lotus said her magic was powerful, very powerful, and that she had to learn to control it. And yes, she couldn’t possibly expect to master something within a few hours, but she should be seeing some improvement after all this time practising. Instead, she was still blocked, as if she had never started.

She closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, blocking out Johan and Asra as they continued to fight behind her.

_I can do this, I just need to concentrate._

_There’s no reason I can’t get better at this._

_Everyone gets better at everything with practice._

The Lotus’s voice came to her, echoing in her mind.

_...”That is not magic here that you are calling on, Sabrina, but creating, drawing from another place. You are making that magic, all on your own._

_Those who create new runes for magicians to use. They invent them. Create them. They call the runes to them. Call them out of the world of magic, and into our world._

_My dear child, you can’t do it wrong. Because there is no template to judge it against. You could create a new rune in the shape of a bunny that causes great fire damage to anyone who touches it. It would not be wrong. Ugly....but not wrong.” ...._

_Stop trying to use magic everyone else uses....and use my own._

She took a deep breath, calming herself, centering herself, as Asra taught her.

Instead of focusing down on what to do to call up the magic, she let her mind wander. The way she had when she had accidentally set the chopping table on fire. She let go of the form of magic, let go the sound of Asra and Johan fighting, and just...blindly....reached.

A rune formed in her mind, behind her eyes. It’s shape was intricate, delicate and complex, and yet it made sense as if it were her own signature.

Raising a hand, she traced it in the air before her, and opened her eyes.

There was a sensation of something leaving her, pushing outwards, flying away from her body in a rush of hot air, and suddenly, the straw target dummy on the floor exploded with a soft – whump! - straw igniting with an audible sound, the target dummy literally lifting up off the floor an inch when it burst into flame.

Behind her, Asra and Johan suddenly fell silent, turning to stare at the flaming target.

Sabrina never turned around, keeping her eyes on the dummy before her, but she smiled.

“I think I understand now.”

 

“So when you Triage people, you’re dividing them up into four groups. People that have to be seen right _now_ – their lives are at stake and they’ll die in the next ten minutes if not seen to; people that need to be seen very soon – they’ll die in the next _half hour_ if not seen to; people that need to be seen to within an hour or two – they’re serious but not life threatening unless not treated at all; and finally, people who can wait until the important injuries are seen to. An example of group one is someone with a severe chest or throat wound, someone who can’t breathe, or someone who is losing a great deal of blood swiftly. The second group would be someone with a less serious but still life threatening injury, such as bleeding that won’t stop, an artery struck and losing blood. The third group would be someone with an open wound that’s messy or dirty – it won’t kill them, but might if it gets infected or the like, and the third would be a broken bone. Painful, but not going to kill anyone.”

Julian leaned back against one of the benches in the infirmary, looking at the small group of magicians frantically scribbling away with bits of coal, graphite, or quill.

“So what do you do with them?’ the young blond asked.

“Well...the serious group, bring directly to me. No offence, but I don’t think magic can handle that sort of injury...?” he glanced at Gerald, who shook his head, then continued, “Right. I guess I’d see to them, so bring them right to me. I’ll have a table set up somewhere nearby and can handle it as best as possible. The others will be seen to by Gerald and magical healer-types who have experience in that. I’m assuming a nicked artery would be for someone higher on the magical scale than a young apprentice?”

Gerald nodded, and spoke, “I’ll see to those. I’ve become adept at slowing blood enough to be able to speed up the body’s own healing process to slow bleeding to a trickle.”

Julian perked up, looking towards the older gentleman, “You have? Really? _How?_ ”

Gerald chuckled, “I’ll be glad to discuss it with you later, Doctor.”

“Right. I’ll hold you to that,” Julian smiled, then looked back to the trio.

“The hardest part of all this is going to be trying to remain calm when you’re looking at someone seriously injured. It’s not easy. At all. You sort of learn how to....compartmentalize it. As if you weren’t really there, just observing. You have to. Otherwise you’re not going to be of any use to anyone.”

One of the magicians spoke, “What if...what if...they’re dying? What do you say?”

Gerald shifted, and was about to speak, when Julian spoke first.

“What _you_ would want to hear.”

There was silence.

Julian leaned back again, crossing his arms, “You’ll have an instinct to lie. To tell them they’ll be fine. That they won’t die. I don’t think that’s fair. You’re lying to them, in the last few minutes of their lives.”

“So...you tell them they’re dying?” the young blond asked, eyes wide.

“Of course not.”

“Then what do you tell them?”

“The truth. That you’re doing everything you can, that you’ll do everything you possibly can to prevent it. Because that’s the truth. You will. And if they want to talk about other things, you let them. If they suddenly start talking about how they should have watered the garden back home before they left, you ask them what they’re growing. If they tell you they’re supposed to go dancing with their sweetheart, you ask them where they’re going. You let them lead the conversation. And you follow. It’s a complicated, awful, _macabre_ dance, but you let them lead and you follow.”

There was silence.

 _They’re too young for this!_ Julian thought angrily, _They have no idea what they’re getting into!_

He sighed.

“Thank you, Doctor.”

Julian looked up to see the young blond looking at him. Her voice was soft, but strong.

“I’m sorry?”

“Thank you.”

“Er....for?”

“Talking to us like we’re people and not dumb kids. It’s...obvious...you don’t want us doing this, but....you’re still talking to us. So thank you.”

Julian studied her in silence for a moment, then smiled faintly, “I’ve recently learned about not making decisions for other people. It almost never ends well.”

The three young magicians smiled back.

“Now,” Julian said, moving on, “I’m going to teach you how to get a wounded patient back to the hospital.”

“We’ll just magic them here,” one said, confused.

“Very good,” Julian smiled, “But what are you going to do if the patient is missing a leg, bleeding everywhere, and is too confused to know you’re trying to help?”

Silence.

Julian looked to Gerald, “Would it be possible to ensure the healers are always in at least pairs, possibly trios? Because one is going to have to perform first aid measures with the other uses the magic.”

“If you want it done, Doctor, we’ll do it.”

It was at that moment, that exact, _precise_ moment, that Julian suddenly realized, horrifying, that he was the only _actual doctor_ there. At least for the moment. 

When he was working in Lucio’s army, there had been other doctors with more seniority. He followed plans, ideas and methods given to him. Decisions were made and he followed.

Which meant, if Johan actually was going to have medical services available that was more complex than simple magical means....that he was the ranking doctor, and would be completely in charge of decisions, ideas, and plans.

_Oh dear sweet God what have I gotten myself into!?_

 

By the end of the day, both Julian and Sabrina were exhausted. Julian had taught what he felt was enough for the young group of magicians to learn in one day – there was much more they needed to know, even just for emergency medical care – but there was no way they could absorb it all in one day. He had promised Gerald he would resume his teaching tomorrow. Gerald assured him it was likely there would be one or two more coming along, interested in learning more.

Sabrina, for her part, had mastered the first spell. A much stronger version of the one she had used to knock the riders off the horses while being chased, her new rune-inspired attack had utterly destroyed three target dummies, leaving only a faint scorched smell and burning straw. The last time she had launched the spell, it had been as simple for her as lighting a candle, and she revelled in it.

Johan was clearly delighted, asking if she could teach him the use of the runes, but Sabrina declined. Right now was not a good time. Best for all magicians to stick to what they knew worked for them.

Asra was silent, and still disturbed, but said nothing. At least Sabrina didn’t seem to be hurting herself, and was gaining control.

Asra, Sabrina, and Julian all met up in the messhall for evening meal, and encountered an extra surprise.

Sabrina and Asra walked in, just in time to see Julian embrace Portia, lifting her clear off the ground in his delight and joy at seeing his little sister again. Portia was laughing, squeezing Julian as hard as possible, both happy to see him, and chastising him for getting caught. Nadia stood to the side, beaming.

“It’s good to see you, Sabrina!” Nadia laughed, stepping forward to embrace the other woman, “We’ve certainly come a long way to see you.”

“I’m so sorry this whole stupid thing happened,” Sabrina shook her head, stepping back from the Countess, still squeezing her hands, “I never should have chased that man back around the back alley. This might never have happened.”

“Mazelinka says “Never would have” doesn’t exist, because no one knows!” Portia beamed, slipping in and wrapping strong arms around Sabrina, hugging her tightly, “I’m so glad you’re ok!”

“You too.”

Sabrina leaned back to laugh as Julian awkwardly stepped back from his own hug with Nadia. He was smiling happily, but looked like he wasn’t entirely sure where to put his arms. Sabrina knew while he considered Nadia a good friend, and his sister’s lover, it would be a while before the title of Countess would vanish from his mind. As Portia had said, Julian had a natural respect for titles.

Asra and Sabrina went and picked up evening meal for everyone, and they all sat together at a back table, chatting, and catching up with what was going on.

“No way!” Portia gasped, leaning in over her bowl of steaming soup, “Earlington and Johan? Really!?”

“It explains a lot,” Asra said, offering a small hunk of meat from his soup to Faust, “Why Johan seemed to take anything Earlington did personally.”

“And why Earlington hates magicians,” Julian agreed, “When he looks at one, he sees a betrayal.”

“But to enslave all of them?” Portia asked, “That’s kinda overkill, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think it was just the personal betrayal to spark this,” Nadia said, “People like the Duke see betrayal and possible coups everywhere. He most likely always distrusted magicians. The personal breakup was the straw that broke the camel’s back, as the saying goes.”

“I’m surprised Puriew went along with it,” Sabrina said.

“Puriew’s lucky he can dress himself,” Julian said dryly, “I saw him at Earlington’s estate. He’s ancient. Weak...has a man servant help him everywhere. I think Earlington had more power over him than anyone knows.”

“A father-son relationship,” Nadia nodded, “It makes sense. Puriew might have trusted him to help, and so he believes anything the Duke said. It would be simple enough to whisper tales of magicians attempting to overthrow him to get him to agree to a complete crackdown on all magicians.”

“So what happened at the Ambassador’s places?” Julian asked Nadia.

“They have plans in place to smuggle the magicians out just before any attack is to take place. Those who cannot fight, such as the elderly, children, and others, will be slipped out of Valdeer and into other countries to claim refugee status. Vesuvia will be taking a healthy amount.”

“That’s wonderful,” Asra beamed.

Nadia smiled, “You may end up with more than just two apprentices, Asra.”

Asra blinked, and groaned.

“That’s a good point,” Julian looked at Nadia, “There are so many magicians here, and so few of them have masters to learn. There are going to be a lot more apprentices than masters. It’s going to be hard for them to go back to training.”

“Yes, you’re right.”

“You know, here in the Bolthole, they have schools. Like regular schools for the wealthy children, only it’s all magic based. Maybe a few things like that could be put together? I mean, I’m sure there will be magicians who escape who will be willing to become masters and take on apprentices again, but we may need to consider setting up schooling for those who can’t find masters.”

“We?” Nadia smiled fondly at Julian. The doctor blushed, “Er....Sorry, I didn’t mean-”

Nadia raised a hand, “No, Julian. I’m just pleased to hear you step forward like this. It’s a wonderful idea, although we will both have to appeal to Asra about this.”

She turned to him, “Do you think it can be done, Asra?”

“It’s...possible...”

Sabrina cleared her throat, “Speaking from a tiny bit of experience....”

Everyone at the table turned their attention to her, all conversation falling away. They were all more than aware of what had brought them to Valdeer in the first place.

Everyone suddenly staring at her, Sabrina found herself oddly tongue tied. She focused on her bowl of soup, mouth working, trying to speak.

Under the table, she felt a cool hand slip into hers, long, slender fingers entwining with hers. Sabrina took a deep breath.

“It’s hard to talk about. Just because it’s _confusing_ to talk about. Asra might get some of it but....well....when you can’t do magic, it really...messes with your mind. Especially when you’ve been doing it so freely before. I mean, I was only...enslaved...a short while, but when I was finally freed, it was like my mind kinda...snapped back. Like I suddenly.....ok, imagine if you stopped seeing colors for a long time, and then suddenly everything was like a rainbow. It was like that. I was overwhelmed. I broke down and cried, and I was only enslaved for a short time.

Some of these magicians have been like this for years. _Decades_. They’re not going to walk out of here and pick up right where they left off. They’re going to need help. A _lot_ of help. They’re going to have breakdowns, and cry, and not remember how to do things, and it’s going to make them panic, because they’re going to think they’ve forgotten magic. Some might have to relearn some of it.

And that’s not even thinking about what else happened to them while enslaved. It wasn’t just their magic that was taken. I hear horror stories. People, used against their wishes, in all manners....mental, physical...brothels, and...and....

We need to have something in place to help them first. Before they can even think about schools. Because once they’re out, honestly free, they’re going to fall apart trying to deal.”

There was silence. Under the table, Julian’s hand was still in hers, not so cool now, but tight, so tight in hers.

“I never even considered that,” Nadia said softly, “And I don’t know if any others have as well. You raise a perfect point, Sabrina. We need to get them out, but we can’t just set them loose in other countries and leave them be, can we? We’re going to need more than just housing for them.”

She sighed deeply, “Curse Earlington.”

“Ok...so...um...” Sabrina cleared her throat, and then took a big slurp of soup. She was surrounded by friends...by family...but she still felt horribly awkward after that.

Julian pushed forward with a change of topic, “How many other countries are involved, Cou – Nadia?”

Nadia flashed him a gentle, amused smile, then spoke, “Five. Six, now that Vesuvia is involved. Tor Bracht, Lahan, Los Furato, and Xan Choi. I’ve met the High Council from Tor Bracht, a delightful woman by the name of Josephine, and the ambassador from Xan Choi, called An Bao. Both have been very helpful. High Council Josephine risks much with her Embassy being the focal point for everything going on here.”

“Only five?” Julian asked.

“Others may be helping, but they want their names kept completely out of it. The others have a need for secrecy too, of course, but are willing to be named among those helping. Some others are helping only as long as they remain completely anonymous. We coordinate only with one individual who does not mention which country she represents. And of course, there are several large, powerful groups aiding, the Red Throats being one.”

Sabrina smiled into her soup, remembering Ferdinand. He had been in lockstep with Julian the entire time they had been rescued. She hadn’t heard from him in a while, and hoped he was doing ok.

“So what happens when we get the magicians out?” Portia asked, “Do we magic up a portal and go home?”

Julian, Sabrina, and Asra suddenly fell silent. The look on their faces weren’t lost on Nadia and Portia.

“What’s going on?” Portia asked.

“Er...well..that is...we’re going to be staying. Sabrina and I.”

“And me,” Asra nodded.

“What?” Nadia looked shocked, “What do you mean, staying?”

“I’m going to help them. Try to...get control of the government here. Free the magicians, permanently.”

Portia stared, mouth open. Nadia seemed as shocked, but she looked a little more graceful about it. Clearing her throat, she spoke.

“I admit, I’m surprised to hear that. Neither you, Asra, nor you, Sabrina, strike me as a fighter.”

“I won’t be fighting,” Asra clarified, “But using my magic in other ways. Support, I guess you could call it.”

“I’m going to do whatever is needed,” Sabrina spoke, “Right now, I’m being trained to fight by Johan. He’s the one commanding the refugees and survivors here.”

“I see. And you, Julian? You’re not planning on fighting as well, are you?”

“Ah...no. I doubt I’d be much use with a sword against a squad of amored guards. But I’m going to be helping medically. As needed.”

“But...” Portia looked uneasy, “This isn’t just....sneaking around. This is serious. This is going to be dangerous.”

“We know, Pasha,” Julian said gently, “But sometimes you just have to do what you feel is right.”

Portia looked at Julian silently for a moment, then nodded, “Right. Then I’m fighting too.”

Julian blinked, sitting up straighter, “What?! _Absolutely not!_ ”

“You just said you have to do what you feel is right! And this feels right!”

“There is no way you’re getting involved in a war, Pasha, forget it.”

Scowling, Portia leaned over the table, hands on her hips, “In case you haven’t noticed, Ilya, I’m a big girl now, I don’t need your permission to go to war.”

“That’s not....that....” Julian turned to Nadia, gesturing at his sister, “Help me here!”

“Portia-”

“No. UH-uh. I’m staying and helping.”

“Pasha!”

“No!”

Sabrina squeezed Julian’s hand tightly, “Come on, Julian, she’s right, she’s a big girl, and doesn’t need your permission.”

Julian swung his head around, staring at her, shocked, “Sabrina!”

Squeezing his hand under the table again, she pressed on, “I’m sure someone who helped run the palace would be a big help here in the Bolthole. She can help Asra get supplies or provisions ready, make sure the magicians who are going out have everything they need....she might even be able to help them find ways of reducing the garbage here.”

Nadia jumped in, “Sabrina’s right. Portia was a huge help in running my castle – I don’t know what I would have done without her. If she sets her mind to helping the fighters prepare and makes sure things go smoothly back here during the fighting, it would be an enormous help.”

Julian looked from Sabrina, to Nadia, then back to Sabrina. After a second, Sabrina saw the realization slowly sink in, and with a dramatic sigh, he leaned back in his chair, “I suppose you’re right. I can’t send you away, Pasha – though I would dearly love to have you back in Vesuvia where it’s safe. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

Portia looked gleefully satisfied, “I will, Ilya. Promise.”

Julian paused, then spoke again, softer, “You’ve become a beautiful, strong woman, Pasha. Our parents would be as proud of you as I am.”

Portia’s eyes widened, her mouth opening for a second. She looked shocked at the unexpected compliment, then, blushing prettily, beamed at him, “You’ve come a pretty long way yourself, Ilya.” She winked at him.

“So,” Nadia cleared her throat, glad that that had been happily and smoothly settled, “How are you going to fight, Sabrina? You are speaking of being on the front lines?”

Gently stroking the back of Julian’s hand with a thumb as she talked, Sabrina nodded, “Yes, although I don’t know if “front lines” will be exact. Johan’s told me a little about how he hopes it’s going to go, but of course, it’s all going to depend on where and how it starts. A regular war has two sides all lined up and facing each other. Actual battle lines are easy to see. This is going to be more of a....a strike force. Whenever Johan is ready, he’s going to send the magicians out, and hope to catch Puriew off guard.

I’m not sure just where I’ll actually be in all that. In the front, in the back....somewhere in the middle....”

“You can be sure he’ll keep you close to wherever he is,” Julian groused.

“Oh?” Nadia looked aside at Julian.

“Oh, he’s convinced that Sabrina’s some kind of super power magician. Capable of amazing feats and astounding magical tasks.”

There was a moment of silence, and then he quickly turned to her, face red, “Er, not to say you can’t! You _are_ powerful, I’m perfectly aware of that! I’m not doubting that for a _second_!”

She smiled at him.

“It’s just....the way he talks....I worry he might be planning on sending you in all by yourself or something....”

Sabrina glanced away, only to meet Asra’s eyes. They both remembered how the practice dummy had exploded when she had turned her own magic against it. And Sabrina thought about the Lotus’s words. That she was powerful. She was strong. Stronger than many magicians, she just didn’t really know how to use her magic yet.

And that those who coveted magic would be drawn to her. To her magic.

Sabrina quietly drank the last of her cold tea, thinking. She knew Johan was drawn to her because of her magic. He might even think he was attracted to her in a romantic sense, but it was her magic that drew him. How quickly he had invited her along to go search out magic tomes, as if they were together. He had only known her a few days – and some of that time had been arguing.  
Was it possible Johan was planning on sending her into something very dangerous, assuming she could handle it?

“Darling?”

Blinking, Sabrina looked up, to find four sets of eyes gazing at her. She blushed, “I’m sorry, I was wool gathering. What did I miss?”

“How has your training with Johan been going?”

“Oh. Good. I’m...ah....getting better with offensive magic. My defensive is just fine – shields are pretty quick to jump to my call.”

Sabrina glanced towards Asra, “I probably have you to thank for that?”

Asra laughed, “It was one of the first things I taught you, yes. I worried when I had to leave you alone, so wanted to make sure you could protect yourself.”

She smiled, “Thank you.”

“There! _Oh, there!_ ”

Blinking at the sudden voice, everyone turned towards the main archway of the messhall, where a small group of people were making their way forward. The small figure in front was pushing her way through the crowd, her eyes focused on the small group.

Portia blinked, “Who’s -”

Julian suddenly straightened, his voice filled with joy as he pushed from his seat, “ _Matilda!_ ”

The small grey haired woman, followed closely by Robert and his wife, were swiftly making her way forward, clearing a path through the assembled magicians. The majority of them moved willingly out of her way, though they cast confused looks at her.

Beaming, Sabrina stood, and moved swiftly forward, where Julian, laughing, went down on one knee and wrapped long arms around the elderly magician. Matilda hugged him back as tightly as she could, and was weeping.

“Bless you, oh bless you, you _found_ him. You brought him to me. You saved me. Oh you _saved_ me...”

“You saved yourself,” Julian corrected her, smiling, though looking slightly red eyed, “and I can’t possibly take the credit for stumbling upon Robert at all. That was luck, pure and simple.”

“Luck or not,” Robert said, “We owe you, Doctor Devorak.”

“Julian, please,” Julian smiled, as he stood up, reaching out to shake Robert’s hand. Sabrina and Matilda embraced, and the grey haired woman happily introduced her to her son and daughter in law.

By this time, the others had come forward, and Julian made the introductions. Asra, Nadia, and Portia were overwhelmed when Matilda grabbed them all and hugged them with strong arms, especially Portia, who was also rewarded with a kiss on the cheek.

“After I left you I went searching,” Robert said, “And found what safehouse she was sent to. Then it was just a matter of requesting a transfer the next time a portal was opened from here to there. I can’t begin to describe how I felt when I saw her there, waiting for me on the other side.”

Asra looked from Robert to Julian, and back, “The resemblance is strong,” he smiled, “Not brothers, but you could pass for cousins, easily.”

Matilda was beaming happily at the two of them, as if a proud mother and aunt.

“Are you both staying here?” Nadia asked, and Robert shook his head, “No. We’re just here to pick up some supplies and then we’re going back to the other safehouse. It’s going to be one of the first to be released when the time comes, and....I want her out of Valdeer as soon as possible.”

“Where will you go?” Julian asked.

“Oh, anywhere,” Matilda said, “Anywhere that’s not here. We’re going to go and be free, and be a family. It doesn’t matter where.”

“I should give you our address,” Sabrina said, “You can write us, if you want.”

“Actually,” Nadia interjected smoothly, “I would like to officially invite you to Vesuvia to stay if you so desire. I will help you get set up there.”

“Oh, we couldn’t be a bother!” Matilda cried.

Nadia laughed, “You aided two of my dearest friends. It’s the least I could do.”

“Officially invite?” Robert asked, looking confused, “Do you work for the government there?”

Julian chuckled, clearing his throat, “Ah, when I introduced her as Nadia, I should have specified Countess Nadia Satrinava, of Vesuvia.”

Matilda, Robert, and Gloria gawked.

Nadia laughed, “And you are more than welcome in Vesuvia.”

“I...I don’t know what to say,” Robert said, quietly, “I’m humbled.”

“Think about it,” Nadia said kindly, “You do not need to take me up on the offer, but if you have no other place in mind to go, you are welcome in Vesuvia.”

“I....thank you.”

With one last hug for Sabrina, and a hug and kiss for Julian, Matilda took her son’s hand, and they disappeared from the messhall. Julian smiled, watching them go. Portia smiled up at him, “She reminds me of Lilinka.”

Julian smiled down at her, “Me too.”

 

That night, a bed was found for Portia and Nadia, and everyone slipped into sleep feeling better than any of them had in a long time.

The next morning, things moved as usual. Sabrina went back to practising her magic, only this time in an empty room. She used empty crates to practice on. A part of her didn’t want an audience anymore, and a part of her felt....oddly secretive about what she was doing. Calling the runes to her felt almost sacred. Highly personal, as if she were naked. Also, she was just getting started. She wanted to have some runes down perfect before using them in front of someone. She didn’t want to be flailing around like a wounded chicken trying to perform magic.

A part of her was wondering what would happen to her after all this was over. The Lotus said she was making new magic. Calling it up, bringing it to this world. Did that mean she could teach her runes to others? Was she basically in the business of creating magic for others to use, now? How was that going to work? Someone who hadn’t gotten a grey hair telling older, more experienced magicians “Stop using your old way and use this thing I just pulled out of thin air instead!”? Was she like a walking lantern for magic, just.....randomly oozing magic?

There was a thought.

It was coming more and more easy to her now. Closing her eyes, seeing the runes form, drawing them in the air...or in her mind. There was almost an alarming......satisfaction....when she released the magic. Almost an afterglow. 

The last time she drew the rune, releasing the magic, and the wooden box she had used as a target exploded with enough force to send slivers of wood flying, the sense of exhilaration she felt almost set her to dancing. The feel of the magic leaving, the sense of power.....she tipped her head back, and laughed.

Later that day, she was late to the evening meal, finding Portia and Julian finishing up when she set down her tray of food.

“There you are!” Portia chirped, “We were wondering where you were!”

“I was practising my magic,” Sabrina explained.

Julian leaned back, nursing a steaming cup. There was no smell of coffee – he was actually drinking tea, “Johan was looking for you. Said you didn’t show for practice.”

“I decided to practice on my own.”

He cast her a worried gaze, “Is that...er...wise?”

Portia laughed, “Why wouldn’t it be? She’s a magician, she practices her magic all the time!”

Casting a somewhat guilty look to Sabrina, Julian spoke, “Well, yes, but...her magic’s...changing.”

“Changing?”

“Well, now that the cat’s out of the bag,” Sabrina said, mock-glaring at Julian, who quickly took a sip of his tea, Sabrina looked back to Portia, “Yeah, it’s changing a little. But I’m fine. I just didn’t want an audience. You know what it’s like, someone staring at you when you’re trying to do something new.” She sat.

Portia made a face, “Ugh, don’t I know it. If I know someone is watching me, I can barely tie my shoes.”

Sabrina laughed. She picked up a piece of bread, taking a deep bite, resting her other arm on the table. A quick tinge of pain lanced up her arm, and she gasped, pulling her arm back. Bending her arm, glancing down towards her elbow, she was shocked to see a rather large splinter embedded under the skin on the back of her arm, just above the elbow, “Ow.”

“How did you manage that!?” Julian asked, gently taking hold of her arm and moving it so he could see it better, “Sabrina, that must have hurt.”

“I didn’t feel a thing. I must have gotten it when I was moving some boxes for targets.”

“Here...let me...” Julian reached down inside his boot, and pulled out his short dagger. Unsheathing it, he leaned in.

Sqwaking in alarm, Sabrina pulled her arm back, “Whoa, hey hey, what are you doing?”

Looking bemusedly at her, he tilted his head to the side, “I’m going to cut your arm off. It’s clearly beyond saving at this point, utterly useless. Agony. Earth-shattering-”

“Oh all right, knock it off,” huffing, she extended her arm again.

Peering down his nose at the offending sliver, Julian carefully slid the edge of the blade under the small area where the tip of the splinter was sticking out of the skin. Trapping it against the blade with a thumbnail, he smoothly slid it out, holding it up to inspect.

“Yikes!’ Portia leaned in, “That was big.”

Sabrina put her thumb over the small hole, when she saw a tiny drop of blood oozing out.

Julian looked at her, an odd look on his face, “And you’re certain you didn’t feel that?”

“Positive.”

“Here...let me see.”

He took her arm, removing her hand, and peering at the site.

“It looks clean enough, and the bleeding will clean it out more. Give it a moment.” He reached into his jacket, and pulled out a small hankerchief. She took it, folded it, and held it to the area.

Portia leaned forward, “So how is your magic changing? Like, can you do different spells now? A different school? That’s what it’s called, right? Schools? Like all magicians can do a little of all types of magic, but you can become an expert in some schools, right?”

Julian looked at his sister, “How do you know that?”

“We had some magicians come by after you left home. They were telling me all about it.”

Sabrina nodded, “That’s right. Divination, Alteration, Invocation....all magicians can do a little of it, but some are better at some schools than others. Asra’s really good at divination, and teleportation by use of portals. He’s mostly water based.” She lifted the cloth to peek at her arm, before putting it back.

“What about you?” Portia asked, “Do you excel in anything?”

“I...I don’t really know,” Sabrina said, “I only really have a few years to go back on. I might be better at one thing or another and just not know it yet. I haven’t actually tried some schools in my recent memory. So who knows?”

She raised a hand, rubbing her forehead, a faint headache starting there. Maybe she was talking too much about her past again.

Julian seemed to notice, and right away changed the topic, “Sabrina’s going to be teaching me more about magic when we get back. And I’m going to teach her about science.”

“Really? That’s great! Hey, do you think you can teach me something, Sabrina? I’d love to learn some magic!”

Sabrina gave her a wan smile, “Sure, I don’t see why not. You have the will to learn, that’s a big step.”

Another quick peek at the small hole in her arm. The blood welled up quickly, and she put back the cloth.

“What can you learn?” Portia asked, “What’s easy?”

“She taught me a little fire,” Julian beamed at his sister, “It was pretty amazing.”

“That’s so wonderful!”

Julian smiled at Sabrina, the smile fading slightly at the look on her face, “Sabrina? Are you ok?”

“Just a headache starting up.”

“Here, let me see that....”

He reached out, and removed the hankerchief, frowning when the blood welled up swiftly, a small trickle forming down her arm. He quickly put back the cloth.

Sabrina frowned. Everything was starting to look...pale. She heard someone call out to her...looking for her? Seeking her?

Portia’s voice cut through the silence, “Ilya, she’s looking _awfully_ grey. I don’t think she.... _Ilya!_ ”

Julian looked up in time to see Sabrina’s eyes roll back in her head, and she started to slide from the table. Cursing in shock, he grabbed her, preventing her from hitting the floor.

She started to convulse in his arms.

_“Sabrina!?”_

Knocking his own chair aside, he knelt on the floor, holding her as her body jerked spasmodically. Portia ran around to where they were kneeling, _“What’s going on!?”_

“She’s having a seizure,” Julian sat back on his ass, pulling her upper body with him, holding her tight against him, so she wouldn’t be striking the floor. 

As Portia knelt beside him, trying not to cry, Julian’s mind was racing. What was going on? Had she been poisoned? She hadn’t eaten anything neither himself nor Portia hadn’t.

Panic was trying to well up inside him as she continued to shake, but he forced it back. Right now she needed him, needed him to be in control and not panic uselessly. He could practically hear her voice, telling him to stop panicking and think.

If there were a spoon around, he’d tell Portia to grab it and he’d try to put it between her teeth*, but there wasn’t.

All he could do, was hold her, and wait, and pray she’d come out of it.

Slowly, after what felt like hours, her motions became less and less, and finally, stopped. She lay as if dead in his arms, but breathing. Julian smoothed her hair, calling to her, trying to get her to respond. Now the panic started to set in. She was unresponsive.

After another eternity, she stirred, and opened her eyes. She looked around, frowning faintly, as if confused. Looking up at Julian’s upside down face over hers, she spoke, her voice weak and cracking.

“Julian? What happened?”

“How are you feeling? Are you in pain? Can you move?”

“I...I’m ok. Why am I on the floor?”

She started to try to sit up, but his arms stopped her, “Not yet. Stay a moment. You...you just had a seizure.”

“I...what?”

She felt her hand taken, and looked over to see Portia kneeling on the ground beside her, clasping her hand. Her face was white as a sheet, her freckles standing out vividly.

“I...I don’t remember what happened.”

“That’s ok,” Julian continued to cradle her, “It’s ok. It’s not important. Just stay still, my darling, you’re all right. You’re ok now.”

He kissed her temple, and she idly wondered if he was trying to convince her, or himself.

She tried to remember what had happened. They had just been talking. Just about magic. Nothing serious. She hadn’t been thinking too hard about what happened before she died. The slight headache she had felt was so mild.

All she could remember, was for a brief second, the sound of someone as if they were calling out to her. Seeking her.

She closed her eyes, feeling Julian’s arms around her.

 

 

Far away, in the city, past the markets and gates, back towards the rich area of the city, where the mansions stood....far below one of them, a man stood. He stood on a balcony, looking down over, into a large, dark room. Here, row upon row of mechanical spiders stood at attention. Their legs were wide, their stance secure. There seemed to be a faint glow coming from them, and if he bothered to go down and really take a close look, he would have seen a strange rune drawn on each other them, in blood.

His voice was strong as he spoke out a word.

“Retire.”

As one, all the spiders took a step back, folding their legs beneath them, settling back down, going dormant again. The gleam in their eyes seemed to fade.

Earlington turned to the man standing beside him.

“Well Apollo,” he grinned, “It looks like we’re ready.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Resting, a calling of the blood, the Other awakens

Sabrina had been taken straight to bed by Julian, and was informed she was to rest. It didn’t matter how early it was in the evening, she was to have bed rest, no ifs, ands, or buts.

They argued.

“Julian, I can’t just _lay_ here. It’s not nearly time to sleep! It’s barely six in the evening!”

Julian pulled the curtain across and hooked it, the soft familiar whisper of the privacy spell sinking down around them, “That’s too bad. You need rest, and rest you’re going to get.”

“I’m fine!”

He folded his long, lanky frame down and knelt beside her, unusually stern, “You are _not_ ok, Sabrina. You just had a _seizure_.”

He shrugged off his jacket, pulling his gloves off one finger at a time, still firmly, but gently, lecturing her, “We’re not talking about a sneeze, or a cough.”

“But it stopped!”

He fixed her with a single grey eye, “Yes, thank God. And you’re not going to tempt fate by running around. Tonight you rest.”

Sabrina huffed, laying back on her back, folding her hands over her chest, glaring at the ceiling, “This is silly.”

“It’s not silly.”

She studied him as he reached out, gently putting a hand to her forehead, checking to see if she was starting a fever. A slow, coy smile formed on her face, and she reached out to him, “Well...I suppose we can find some way to keep ourselves occupied....”

Julian offered her a soft smile. He took her hand, pressed a kiss to her palm, then said, “ _No_.”

Sabrina blinked.

He settled back on his ass, folding his legs to be more comfortable.

“Did...did you just....”

He leaned back against the rock wall that made up the side opposite the entrance, watching her. His face was gentle, but serious, “Yes. I did. I meant it, Sabrina, you’re getting rest.”

“You...but you...you’ve never...”

His lips twisted as he fought not to laugh, blushing, “Yes, well....we both know I’m helpless against you and your ... _charms_...but not when you’re hurt, darling. No. We’ll just have to think of something else to do to occupy ourselves. A pity we don’t have a chess set in here....”

Sabrina said nothing, actually feeling somewhat put out. Julian had never turned down a chance to be with her, and she almost felt insulted. And at the same time, proud.

She reached out, and took his hand, pulling him to her. Julian arched a brow, watching her, curious. When she tugged him down, he spoke, “I...I mean it.”

“I know you do,” she smiled, “Just lay beside me, ok?”

“Ah. That I can do, happily.”

She lay on her right side, he on his left. She gently reached out and slid her fingers under the strap for his eyepatch, carefully sliding it up over his head.

“There. Much better.”

“At least you think so.”

The smile on her face faded.

Frowning, Julian reached out, gently touching her cheek, “What? What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Sabrina.”

“I just....it makes me sad. Thinking of you all alone in that cell, thinking you were dying. No one to turn to for comfort, for help...”

He stilled. Gently taking her hand, he pressed another kiss into her palm, “I survived.”

“And glad I am of it.”

There was silence for a moment, and then he spoke again, “I wish....I wish I could remember _more_ of you. From...before. It feels so strange sometimes, that we knew each other before. How close were we? You worked for me, but...were we just co-workers? Were we friends? More? It’s...hard to think I....I knew you and didn’t _feel_ for you then as I do now.” He kissed her fingertips.

“I know,” she softly agreed, “from Portia and Mazelinka I get the feeling you were as outrageous then as you are now, so it’s hard to think I didn’t start falling for you back then.”

Julian fell silent. He only had very vague memories from before that night. He knew he had known her....the note he found in his cell made that clear, but....how close had they gotten? What had it been like, finding out she....she died?

He felt a slight stirring of fear inside him, as he always did when he thought about the fact Sabrina had died. Where had she gone? He didn’t really know what he believed about an afterlife. He felt there was _something_ beyond, yes, but....so had she been _there_? 

Sabrina had been thinking along the same lines. She hated to think about the fact she had died. Not realizing Julian was thinking the same thing, she was wondering where she had been while dead. It made her feel panicky. That she was dead. Not for a minute, not for a few minutes, like when someone almost drowns but is saved.

Years.

Dead.

A shiver moved through her, and Julian frowned, “Are you cold?”

He sat up, hooking the blanket from the bottom of the bed, and pulled it up over them, tucking it around her neatly.

She smiled, and spoke.

“I met The Lotus the other day.”

Julian looked at her, “Oh, did you?”

“She told me you had been talking, you and her.”

Julian smiled lopsidedly, “Well....if talking is what you want to call it, then yes, we did. I think _“terribly confuse”_ is more accurate.”

“She’s very powerful. And knows a great deal.”

“She...seemed to, yes.” Julian curled long fingers around her hands, gently rubbing them to warm them, “At first I thought maybe she was just a little...deranged...but...”

Sabrina laughed.

Julian smiled at her, “What did she say to you?”

Her smile faltered slightly, but she held onto it, and shrugged, “Oh, the usual. Magic this, magic that. I barely understood some of what she was saying. She’s fond of _you_ , though.”

His eyebrows shot up, “Really?”

“Really.” Sabrina grinned, “Matilda, The Lotus....you’re a big hit among the older ladies, Dr. Devorak.”

He barked a laugh, “What can I say, it’s my natural charm and grace.”

Sabrina laughed, and lifted his hand, kissing the back of his hand.

There was silence for a moment, and then she spoke again, “She said something, though, that I’ve been thinking a lot about.”

“Oh?”

“She said I was....I had been lost. As a child, I guess she means. And so never really got proper training. But I was raised by my aunt. Asra said my parents died and my aunt raised me in her house, at the shop. It’s where I grew up. I don’t remember much, but it’s what Asra told me when I asked him. So I wasn’t lost. So what did she mean?

That I wasn’t trained properly, but Asra was my master. Of _course_ I was trained properly.”

He was quiet for a moment, remembering the conversation he had had with Asra. That in fact, it had Sabrina who had been Asra’s master.

So _who_ , originally, had taught Sabrina?

And should he tell her?

Julian didn’t like knowing that there were things about Sabrina’s past that she herself didn’t know. It felt wrong, keeping it from her. He wondered if he should tell her.

Julian gently stroked a thumb across the back of her hand. His grey eyes were warm as he studied her, listening.

Sabrina spoke, “Sometime I envy you, you know.”

He frowned, “Er...you do? Why?”

“You remember your parents. I mean....you _were_ orphaned, but...you have _memories of them_. What they looked like. What they sounded like. Their names. Things they did or said that stick out for you. I don’t remember _anything_ about mine. Asra said my aunt said I was very little when I was orphaned, so maybe I wouldn’t have been able to remember what they looked like, but...” she shook her head.

They were quiet again for a little, listening as a couple walked up the hallway, speaking softly and low. The lights in the hallway were getting low, so Sabrina turned and motioned towards the lamp in the room. A soft flame appeared, softly lighting the room.

Julian spoke, “I don’t.....sometimes it’s...hard to remember them. Their _faces_ , I mean. It comes and goes. If I try hard, they just have grey, blank spots where their faces should be. But I remember their _voices_. Papa had a deep voice, almost startlingly so, though he never yelled in _anger_. He’d have to yell to be heard across the ship sometimes, but never in anger. Mama had a lovely voice. She could sing beautifully.

It’s funny, but if I think about something other than their faces, I can see them. I mean...if I concentrate on the apron Mama liked to wear, I can see her face above it. But I can’t really look right at her face. Isn’t that strange?”

Sabrina smiled, reaching out and gently pushing his hair from his face. Smiling, he continued.

“It was Mama who had the red hair. It was lighter than mine – closer to Pasha’s. Papa’s was black, like ink. He had the grey eyes, though not the same color as mine or Pasha’s. In between, I think. Pasha’s has a touch of Mama’s blue.”

Sabrina smiled, snuggling closer to him. She loved to hear Julian talk about his parents.

“Where did you get your height from?”

“Oh,” he laughed, “I’m not sure. Neither Papa nor Mama were overly tall, but Mama did say once the men in her family had been tall, so perhaps from one of them? God, I started to grow when I was young, outgrowing all my clothing long before I even managed to put a single hole in them.”

She softly laughed.

Sabrina remembered Julian one talking about the fact he had relatives out there, somewhere. He had attempted to find them, but no luck. He only knew his parent’s names, nothing beyond that. No grandparents, no uncles or aunts.

His eyes traced her face, “Mama loved to laugh. She could find humour in anything. Even in the most dire situations, Papa said, she’d find something absurd enough to laugh at.” He fell silent for a second, then smiled, “He used to call her his falcon. Small, but fierce.”

He reached out, gently drawing a thumb down along her cheek, “Perhaps I should start calling you that. _My falcon_.”

Her face flushed, and she closed her eyes, delighting in his touch, “You can call me whatever you like, Ilya.”

There was a pause, and then she felt his breath on her face. His lips gently grazed hers, and then settled, kissing her. It was a warm, soft kiss, full of love and adoration.

After a moment, he pulled back, and she opened her eyes, to find him inches from her face, taking in her features. His eyes were slightly hooded, but there was no physical desire there, no need or lust. Just a soft love.

“They’d have adored you, you know,” he said softly, “You’d have fit right in.”

Emotions surged up inside her, and she found herself speechless. She shifted forward, pressing her face against his chest, sliding her arms around him, holding him tightly. Long arms slid around her, pulling her against him gently, cradling her like a delicate figurine.

_“You promised me,”_ he whispered into her hair, _“You promised me, Sabrina.”_

“I did,” she whispered back, “And I will keep it. I won’t risk myself stupidly. I’ll carry you in my thoughts constantly. I’ll come back to you in one piece, alive, and we’ll go home. Back to our lives, our home, the garden, and the clinic. I promise.”

“I can’t lose you. I’ve only been with you a year, but I can’t _lose_ you.” There was a faint hint of desperation in his voice, tiny and distant, but there.

“You won’t.”

They lay together, silent, each just listening to the other’s heart. She breathed in his scent, a faint scent of leather, and medicine, and a rich musky smell that was Julian’s own personal scent that she loved. All together, it was Julian to her. The combination of leather, medicine, his own smell and his soap that lingered on his shirts and pillowcases and would sometimes cause her to just stop and press something he owned to her face and just inhale. It could calm her, or excite her, depending on her mood.

The night moved on, and they remained that way, dressed under the blanket, curled around each other. They held and smoothed, touching faces and stealing soft, innocent kisses. Eventually, their conversation circled completely around again to what had happened earlier.

“I don’t understand,” she said quietly, frowning at his chest, where she lightly toyed with a button on his shirt, “I barely had a headache, and I really wasn’t thinking hard about what happened in my past. That’s what normally would...would hurt me, but....this was just talking about magic with Portia.”

He raised a hand, gently smoothing her tight curls back from her face, “What else did you experience? Dizziness? Buzzing sounds? Numbness?”

“No, none of that...” she frowned, “Who called to me?”

Frowning himself, he looked down at her, where she lay, “What do you mean?”

“Someone called out to me, didn’t they? Just before I....fell? Was it Asra, or Nadia?”

Julian shook his head, “No. It was just you, me, and Pasha.”

Sabrina tilted her head up, meeting his gaze, “Are you sure? I’m certain I heard someone call out to me. Like they were looking for me.”

“For what? What do you mean, exactly?”

Sabrina lowered her head again, a faint furrow in her brow, “I.....don’t know. Just....I had a little headache, and....I thought I heard someone call me. More than one, maybe? I don’t...remember. Then everything started going grey. Like everything was painted and it all was starting to leak out of it all....and then I just....I think I fell...”

Julian continued to smooth her hair back in long, soft strokes, thoughtfully humming to himself.

“The...the color leaving the world, I understand. It was a sign of the seizure. The other I don’t get at all. Auditory hallucinations?”

“Great,” she muttered quietly, “I’m going crazy.”

“Hush, that’s not what I said,” he soothed, “It could have been another sign of the impending seizure. The blood rushing to your brain, perhaps, or...away from it. Causing visual hallucinations, auditory....”

He slipped his fingers into hers, and held tightly. His stomach twisted as memories of her shaking body came back to him. 

She shifted.

“Let’s...get ready for bed,” he suggested, “And actually get a good night’s sleep, hmmm?”

Sabrina looked up at him, amused. He blinked at her, “What?”

“You? A good night’s sleep? Going to bed early? What sorcery is this?”

He laughed, “Well, maybe I’d like an early night of snuggling, ever think of that?”

“No.”

Julian laughed again, and pulled her tight to him.

 

They stayed that way a little longer, before Sabrina gave in. They went to the nearest bathroom to wash for bed. Julian made certain she was tucked in, before slipping off to get them both some tea, and then came back. It might have been the tea, or the quiet, cozy little room, or maybe she was sleepy, but Sabrina found herself getting sleepy faster than she expected.

Julian lowered the flame, and settled back against the wall at the head of their mattress. He had shucked off his boots and sat reading. It was quiet, and peaceful, much like a quiet night in their home.

He glanced from his book from time to time, watching her. She was back on to him, a small huddle under the blankets.

He wanted her home. Back in Vesuvia. Where she was safe. Where there were no anti-magician Dukes wanting to imprison her. No impending war. Where normally their biggest concern was if there had been too much rain in the herb garden out back and the ragwort had drowned. Mundane things that actually gave him pleasure.

He knew Sabrina knew he was worried. He couldn’t hide it.

Sabrina murmured sleepily, “Read to me.”

A soft smile formed on his face, “I’m sorry, darling, I’m not reading the magic book. This is one I found in pile by the infirmary. It’s just about some local herbs they use here for healing.”

“Read it anyway,” she murmured, “I just want to hear your voice.”

Julian suddenly felt like he had been punched in the gut, losing his air with a silent huff. Emotions washed over him so _strongly_ he almost felt like he couldn’t breathe. Her simple words had rocked him to his core. For a moment, he almost felt like he were drowning, a helpless, powerful tide of love that made him want to actually break down and cry. Sometimes the simplest thing she said could strip him of all defences like a powerful storm, and leave him feeling naked and exposed, and yet wanting more.

It was too much. It was too _strong_ , and he was such a _mess_ , unable to deal with such powerful emotions. It had been a long time since such a simple thing she said had reduced him to a speechless lump, unable to process the love behind it. When they had first joined their lives, he had been moved to tears at times, and he had been humiliated, but he couldn't help it. He had never been able to deal with his stronger emotions, and she consistantly brought them out. Over time, he had grown better able to deal with them, but now...right now...

And under it all, a sudden thought tried to break through it all.

_I’m going to lose her. She’s going to die._

He swallowed hard, forcing away the emotion, angrilly forcing back the panic that wanted to rise up, those angry, hurtful thoughts that he didn’t _deserve_ this, he was _cursed_ , it was all going to fail. Why now, after all this time, all these months of finally believing that he _did_ deserve to be happy, there _wasn’t _a black cloud following him around, he _wasn’t_ destined to be miserable forever, why now was he falling back into his old ways?__

____

____

He opened his mouth, and tried to say something, and only made a pitiful half sqwak sound. He hurried cleared his throat as she started to stir. 

“Sorry,” he forced himself to laugh, “frog in my throat. Alright, then, ah...er...ahem. Let’s see. We’ll start with...ah...bladderwort, then, shall we?” 

Sabrina rolled over, nestling in more comfortable. She never opened her eyes, too close to sleep, her hands lightly resting on her pillow. Julian started to read, his voice soft and low, rising and falling as he attempted to made herbal healing sound somewhat interesting, but always keeping his voice low and soft. He only made it to Dragonsbane before she was finally and completely asleep, breathing deeply and even. 

He closed the book, watching her as she slept. 

_I would die for you,_ he thought, his gaze gently lying on her face, _Oh Sabrina, I would die for you._

The next morning, they had a small spat as they walked to breakfast. Nothing serious, but Julian did not feel she should try her magic again. He was of the opinion she had overworked herself and that was what caused the seizure. Sabrina’s take was that if it had been exhaustion, it should have happened long before she got to evening meal. 

The choice was taken out of their hands as they encountered a great flurry of activity in the halls. There seemed to be hundreds of people, all carrying things in their arms, moving with speed and intent. 

They found Asra, Nadia and Portia gathered just inside the messhall, trying to find a place to sit. 

“What’s going on?” Sabrina asked, as they approached. 

Nadia turned to them, “The exodus has started.” 

“Exodus?” 

“The magicians that are being moved. Smuggled out. It’s happening now.” 

Sabrina blinked, “You mean _today_!?” 

Portia nodded, “Yeah. Everyone’s getting ready.” 

Sabrina stared at the magicians in the Bolthole. Children, adults and familiars of every size, shape and species were on the move, entering the room, exiting. People were seating and eating, but even then, many were reading papers, notes, talking and making plans. 

“Is it all ready, though?’ Sabrina asked Nadia, “I thought there was more to be done!” 

She looked slightly worried, but the Countess spoke, “It had to start now. Apparently there are rumours that Earlington is getting ready for his attack on Puriew.” 

Sabrina looked confused, “What does that have anything to do with....” 

“Distraction,” Julian nodded, “While they’re fighting with each other, easier to sneak the civilians out.” 

“Just so,” Nadia agreed. 

“Where will we sit?” Portia asked, “There are so many people....” 

Julian peered over everyone’s heads, “I see an empty place. Follow me.” 

Stepping forward, he moved through the people like the prow of a ship, effortlessly guiding them to an empty corner of a long table. Once everyone was seated, both he and Nadia made their way back to the kitchen to grab everyone’s food. As the two tallest, they had the easier time getting through the crowd. 

Once everyone was seated and had eaten, they started talking. Portia watched Sabrina in silence for as long as possible, before she leaned over and tried to ask quietly. 

“How are you feeling this morning?” 

“Oh, I’m better,” Sabrina said, equally lowly, “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” 

“What do you think happened?” 

She was about to say something, when she felt Asra lean in, “Are you sick, Sabrina?” 

Inwardly sighing, she leaned back, and turned to smile at her ex-master, ignoring Portia’s look of apology. 

“I’m fine, Asra. I was just a little sick last night, is all.” 

“Sick?” Julian groused. 

Sabrina looked a warning at him, “Julian-” 

“A seizure isn’t just being sick!” 

Now Asra and Nadia turned to her, alarmed. 

_“Seizure!?”_ Asra blinked. 

_“Damn it, Julian! Why not tell the whole world!”_

Julian managed to look somewhat chastised, but plowed on strongly, “I’m not telling the whole world, it’s only your friends here.” 

_“You had a seizure!?”_ Asra asked again, face pale. 

Groaning, Sabrina raised a hand to her face, “It was a small one.” 

Nadia frowned elegantly, “ _Can_ one have a _small_ seizure, Julian?” 

“Er....well...technically, yes, but-” 

“I knew you shouldn’t be doing this magic,” Asra said firmly, “It’s not good for you.” 

“That’s not what did it,” Sabrina was balling up her napkin, piling her dishes together in an irritated manner. 

“You’ll just hurt yourself, like the last time you did something like this.” 

“I told her not to practice today,” Julian said to Asra, “I think she should take a rest from today.” 

“I’m not taking a rest, Julian, no!” 

Sabrina, your magic isn’t conductive-” 

“Sabrina, maybe you should just-” 

“Will everyone just shut up!?” 

Asra, Julian, Portia and Nadia blinked, those who had been talking falling silent. 

Sabrina turned a brilliant red, but she was still annoyed, “Look, I appreciate you all being concerned, I _really do_. I know you’re all talking from worry. But this isn’t because I’m overtaxing myself. If it was it would have happened as soon as I got tired. And Asra, I know you know my magic well, but it’s changed now. It’s different. I can feel the difference. I’m not having trouble with offensive magic, it’s coming more and more easy now.” 

“That’s not a good thing!” Asra cried, clearly very upset. He was pale, lavender eyes wide, and Sabrina was suddenly aware he was frightened. 

“Asra,” she said gently, “You don’t honestly think I’m going to go out there and start murdering people, do you? That I’ll develop a taste for warfare and go off trying to conquer distant lands or something?” 

“I.....I....” 

“I know you don’t like aggression. You taught me that, as far back as I can remember. Instilling a sense of duty. Of being gentle and kind. Not hurting people. You have a gentle heart, Asra, and you taught me to be that way.” 

Julian looked into his cup of coffee, feeling awkward. His conversation with Asra earlier, about Sabrina’s odd....violent bursts of power coming back to him. He still felt Asra should tell her, let her know why he was so worried. 

But then, he would have to explain what this...thing inside her magic was.... 

Julian cleared his throat, about to speak, to suggest Asra tell her what he knew...but she spoke again. 

“My magic’s changing for a reason, Asra. I was talking to The Lotus. She....told me a lot of things.” 

Asra went very still. His eyes were still wide, frightened. 

“What did she say?” 

“Excuse me.” 

Everyone jumped, startled, as Johan seemed to have magically appeared beside their table. The normally steady man looked harried and uneasy, and it was apparent he was very pressed for time. 

“I suppose you’ve all heard what’s happening? We’re moving everyone out.” 

“There are rumours circling about, yes,” Nadia spoke. 

Johan nodded, then looked to the two magicians at the table. 

“Sabrina, Asra, can I have you come to my meeting room, please? There are things we need to discuss. Countess, I would be honoured if you came as well.” 

“Of course,” Nadia nodded. Johan gave a brief nod to the group, then turned, moving swiftly away, vanishing through the archway, followed closely by several others, all chattering about important things. 

“Guess it’s started for real,” Portia murmured. 

Nodding, Asra pushed back his chair, and stood, “Let’s go see what he wants.” 

Nadia and Sabrina stood. Julian and Portia exchanged an uneasy, awkward glance, saying nothing. They weren’t about to cause waves. 

Nadia, however, and Sabrina exchanged a glance of their own. An unspoken agreement passed between the two women. Sabrina took Julian’s hand, and Nadia took Portia’s. Tugging the Devorak siblings to their feet, the group made their way towards the tunnel that would lead to Johan’s meeting room. Asra said nothing, but couldn’t hide his approving grin. 

The room, as they approached, was clearly filled with people talking, and in some cases, arguing. When they looked up and saw the group of five, they fell silent, confused. Johan turned around at the silence. His face darkened slightly when he saw Julian and Portia, but said nothing. He motioned for the others to leave the room, until it was just the small group, and Johan. 

“Thank you for coming. Things are....hectic. I apologize.” 

Nadia seemed amused, “It’s not everyday one has to plan and put a rescue mission of hundreds of people into place. Do not apologize.” 

“Yes, well....Countess, we’re in conversation right now with Josephine and the others. They’re getting ready to start accepting magicians in their countries as soon as we open portals. Is Vesuvia ready?” 

She nodded, growing serious, “You should be talking to my ambassador, I believe? He is the one who is taking care of everything, seeing I am here.” 

“Yes. He says they’re ready.”<

“Excellent. The palace is planning on taking the magicians directly. We have armed guards ready to defend them should any of Valdeer’s guards attempt to follow. I do not think that will happen, though, save for one or two overly zealous individuals. That would be considered an act of war. We’re hoping the uniformed guards, in Vesuvia uniforms, will give the fleeing magicians a sign of their safety.” 

“Excellent. Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.” 

Nadia, ever the model of royal courtesy, spoke gently, but firmly, “I am more than willing to help....and do not take this the wrong way, but I am not doing this as a favour to you. I am doing what I should have done long ago when I first heard of this. I am doing what is right.” 

He nodded, smiling. 

He then turned his attention directly to Sabrina. 

She had been expecting him to ask her something about if she was ready to fight, or if she had kept training. Instead, he asked her something that momentarily threw her off balance. 

“Sabrina, you said you may have a plan for removing at least some of Earlington’s spider army. Have you thought any more about that?” 

Four pairs of eyes suddenly swung around to look at her, and she suddenly felt completely on display. While it was just her friends, and Julian.....she really hadn’t had a chance to think it through. She also hadn’t had a chance to talk to Asra about it....and she knew he had warned her against using blood magic. 

Swallowing, she cleared her throat, still holding Julian’s hand. 

“Uh...yeah, I, uh...I might.” 

“Please,” Johan smiled, “Tell us. Anything that can help...” 

“Um...” 

She felt Julian squeeze her hand slightly, encouraging her, but it gave her very little hope. She had a bad feeling now, considering how badly Asra seemed to be taking the fact she was learning to fight. 

“So..um...when Earlington wanted the spiders created, he wanted to be able to control them with his mind. Like, to be able to think commands at them, and have them listen. Because if he was out there, and they weren’t near, he’d have to give each and every one of them a command and it would take time. So he...he asked me how to do that. 

I told him that the only way I could think of, would be to use his blood, to create a link from him to the spiders directly.” 

There was silence. Beside her, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Asra shift, but he didn’t say anything. Johan frowned faintly, “And he let you do this?” 

“Well, he told me he wouldn’t let me bleed him...which, under the circumstance, I can’t blame the bastard. I probably would have done more than just....anyway....he said he’d bring me a bowl of his blood and I could use that.” 

“How?” Johan looked curious. 

Sabrina could almost feel the disapproval radiating from Asra beside her, but she kept on going. 

“I drew runes on the spiders, using his blood.” 

Asra now spoke, “Sabrina-” 

She turned to him, “Asra, I _know_. But I didn’t really have a choice.” 

“No, you always have a cho-” 

Julian butted in, surprising her, his voice oddly combative and rough, “No, she _didn’t_ , Asra. He already punched her in the face once. She was probably afraid he’d do it again.” 

Asra blinked, and looked away for a second, distraught. He pushed his white hair from his face, and nodded, “I...sorry. You’re right.” 

Johan cleared his throat, “So Earlington has mental control over the spiders?” 

“Yes....but so do I.” 

Johan frowned, “What do you mean?” 

Sabrina took a deep breath, trying to put together what she wanted to say. 

“Ok, so...my magic seems to be tied into runes. And I wanted a way to be able to stop his spiders if he tried to use them. I couldn’t think of how to stop him, how to break the bond, so I thought if I mixed my own blood with his, it would dilute his enough that I could....interrupt any attempt of his to talk. Sort of like shouting over someone trying to talk.” 

“Do you think it would work?” 

Sabrina smiled, “Well, I discovered by accident that _I_ can control them as well.” 

Everyone blinked. 

“You can?” Julian asked. 

Sabrina nodded, looking up at him, “I accidentally activated one of them when I was there. I got angry and was thinking along the lines of how they really belonged to me, not him, and one woke up and moved. It listened to me. So I can control them. If Earlington tries to use them, I can take them over instead.” 

“Amazing!” Johan laughed. 

Julian beamed, “That’s wonderful!” 

“No!” Asra shouted, interrupting them, _“No! Sabrina, what have you done!?”_

She turned, facing him, falling silent. Asra was almost perfectly white, looking like a ghost. He moved forward swiftly, grabbing her almost painfully tight at the shoulders, “No! I told you never to use blood magic! _Never!”_ She flinched at his words, at his grip. His grip actually hurt her shoulders, pain lancing lightly down her arms. She jerked slightly, trying to pull back, but his hands were like iron bands. 

“Asra,” Julian, dropping Sabrina’s hand, reached up, grasping Asra’s hands, trying to pry them off, “Ease up, you’re hurting her!” 

“Don’t you realize what you’ve done!?” 

“Dammit Asra, let her _go!_ ” 

Successfully managing to pry one hand loose, Julian, growing more alarmed, pulled Sabrina back a step from Asra, uneasy at the magician’s sudden attitude, breaking the grip of his other hand.. Sabrina’s tunic at the shoulder was literally yanked to one side, rumpled. She raised a hand and absently rubbed at the spot, “Asra, listen to me-” 

Asra turned, pacing away from her, wide eyed and face full of what could only be fear, “No, you don’t understand! There’s a reason I told you never to do that! Never to use blood magic!” 

Johan frowned, “If we can use this to stop Earling-” 

_“No!”_ Asra suddenly rounded on the other magician, “No, I won’t _allow_ this! You should know better, Johan! You know what happens in blood magic! How many spiders is she bound to? You know how it works!” 

Sabrina found herself growing somewhat irritated. She knew Asra was concerned for her as a friend, and as her one time master. But he didn’t have a say in this. This was _her_ decision. 

Trying to stay calm, she stepped forward, gently glancing at Julian to let him know she was alright. Behind him, Nadia and Portia were exchanging uneasy glances as well. 

“Asra, talk to me. You explained that blood magic is dangerous because it’s used in violent ways, for evil means. But I didn’t use it for evil means. And you yourself are the one that taught me magic isn’t evil. It’s how it’s used. The intent of the one using the magic.” 

“No, that’s not....we have to find a way to undo this, right away!” 

“Please, Asra,” Julian spoke, trying to remain calm, “Just tell us what you’re upset over. Maybe we can work something out...” 

Asra never looked at Julian, kept his gaze on Sabrina. After a moment, he turned, running his hands through his hair again, then trying to speak. 

“Sabrina....you know how when you perform magic....when any magician performs magic, it uses up your energy. You get tired. Hungry. And you have to rest, or eat.” 

Sabrina nodded. 

“Well, those spiders don’t have any energy of their own. They’re like...like a giant rock, just sitting there. They’re not supposed to move on their own. But now, with the magic, they are. They can move. Walk, run....do whatever you need them to.” 

Sabrina nodded again. 

“The thing is, they have no way to power that. They don’t eat, they don’t rest. So the energy has to come from _somewhere_.” 

“Alright, I’m following you so far....” 

“The reason blood magic is so dangerous, so evil....is because usually the energy for it comes from whomever had their blood shed. People often use someone’s blood to do a thing, and it will drain that person, killing them.” 

Beside her, Julian shifted, starting to catch on. 

Asra forged ahead, “Blood Magicians don’t use their own blood because it would weaken them the minute they started to use the spell. What use a spell that makes you weak and helpless the minute you use it?” 

Julian suddenly spoke, dread starting to form in his voice, “Sabrina’s blood is on the spiders. When it activates, it drains _her_ energy, doesn’t it?” 

“Yes,” Asra said weakly, “Because the energy has to come from somewhere.” 

Nadia spoke softly, “And there are how many spiders, Sabrina?” 

There was a horrible silence as the reality of what she had done started to sink in. She stared at Nadia in horror, “Hundreds.” 

There was utter silence. 

Johan spoke uncomfortably, “My sources tell me Earlington activated the entire army last eve. A test, you might say.” 

Julian stiffened, looking at Earlingon, single grey eye wide, “Last eve? Are you sure about that? Are you _positive_!?” 

“That’s what the report said, yes. Why?” 

Julian said nothing, just swallowed hard, looking now to Asra. He spoke, his voice low and bordering on panic, “How do we stop this, Asra? How do we reverse this?” 

“I...I don’t think we can...” 

“Yes. Yes, we can. There’s a _way_. There _has_ to be a way. Think. You and Johan...you have to think of _something-_ ” 

“What’s going on?” Johan asked, growing somewhat irritated. 

Portia was the only one who spoke, her voice tiny in the silence, “Sabrina had a seizure last night. Right after evening meal.” 

Everyone turned and looked at her. 

Sabrina, paler than normal, her freckles standing out vividly, swallowed roughly, and spoke. 

“Oh _fuck_.” 

Everyone was talking over everyone else, trying to come up with ideas, theories, about how to break the spell. Nadia, Portia and Julian were grabbing blindly at any idea that came to them, knowing nothing about how magic works. Everything from trying to destroy the spiders to using water or rain to wash off the blood was suggested, and all were passed over by Johan and Asra. 

“Once the spell is first activated, it’s set,” Asra said. He looked utterly undone. His hair was a wild mess, moreso than usual, and he was pacing as badly as Julian, “Nothing can remove it, you can’t just wash it off.” 

“What about leaving?” Julian asked, “We were far enough away from Earlington before for him to activate the collar. If Sabrina goes back to Vesuvia, will that work?” 

Johan shook her head, “No. Because it involves her blood. She can go anywhere in the world and once it’s activated, it’s going to call to her.” 

Nadia spoke, “Do we at least have any idea when Earlington is likely to activate the spiders?” 

“I have people watching his mansion right now,” Johan said, “But the spiders are inside. We won’t be able to see them until he moves them outside-” 

“And once that happens they’ll already be activated,” Asra continued. 

Sabrina wrung her hands. She felt utterly stupid. To think that after all this, everything her friends had gone through for her....Julian being tortured....she went and endangered herself! 

“I’m sorry,” she apologized, trying not to cry with embarrassment and guilt, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know...” 

Julian gathered her in his arms, “No, you didn’t know, don’t cry. It’s not your fault, you did what you had to.” 

“You thought you were doing a good thing,” Portia agreed, lightly patting Sabrina on the shoulder, “We just have to find a way to fix this.” 

Julian held her tightly, horribly aware at any moment she could start to convulse, another seizure taking her. A worse one this time. He was feeling useless as a doctor....but seizures were so difficult to treat. No one knew what was causing them, unless it was something blatantly obvious, like poison. 

A young man slipped into the room, and whispered something to Johan, then left. Johan turned back to the others, “The Exodus is getting underway. I’m sorry, I have to go see to some things. I’ll ask the others if they know of any way to interrupt a blood magic spell.” 

He slipped from the room, leaving the small group alone. 

“I’m sorry, Asra,” Sabrina said, “I should have listened.” 

“It’s not important now. Right now we need to find a way to stop it.” 

“What about that Blackstone stuff?” Portia asked, “If it can block magic, would it block this?” 

“That’s.....an idea,” Asra paused, thinking, “But it would have to be a lot. And she’d almost have to be surrounded by it. Like....in a cell.” 

“No cells!” Sabrina blurted. 

Julian tightened his hold around her, “Darling if it keeps you alive...” 

“It’s one prison replacing another,” she said bitterly. 

“Only until you’re safe,” he said softly, “Not forever. Once the spiders are destroyed, and the danger is gone...” 

“And how long will that be!?” 

“As long as it takes!” Julian said, his voice stressed, “We’re talking about your life!” 

She cursed. 

Asra spoke, “Right now it’s the only thing we can do, Sabrina. Let us do it, and while you’re safe....hopefully....we can work on something else.” 

Sabrina angrilly rubbed her face, furious with herself, but realizing there was no other way. 

“Fine. Let’s go put me in a cage.” 

Julian looked miserable, “Darlin-” 

“No. I know, it’s the only thing we can do. I’m agreeing, but I hate it.” 

Nadia turned to Asra, “I doubt Johan just happens to have a Blackstone cell lying around down here.” 

“Actually, I heard from other magicians that when the place was created, there were sort of....dungeons made down here, for magicians. Johan wasn’t sure what would happen with so many people forced to live underground, hiding. He had some rooms made with Blackstone in the walls, just so no one could use magic to escape. It’s not what we need, but it’s a step closer, at least.” 

“Let’s go talk to him, then, and find out where they are. Julian, you help Sabrina get ready.” 

“Yes, of course.” 

Nadia, Asra and Portia left, seeking out Johan, or anyone that could tell them where to locate the gaol. Alone, Julian and Sabrina turned, starting back towards their small room. 

“It might only be a day or two,” Julian said, trying to ease her, “Think of it as...er......” 

Sabrina interrupted him, her voice a little acidic, “If you say a vacation I am going to turn you into a bug. And step on you.” 

He fell silent. Slipping an arm around her, he hugged her tightly to his side. 

“Well” she grunted, “At least you don’t have to worry about me being hurt out on the battlefield anymore.” 

Julian glanced at her, then away, unhappy, “This isn’t really how I wanted it, though. The threat of seizures looming overhead.” 

She just grunted in reply. Julian fell silent, and guilt swept over her. She squeezed him, “I’m sorry, Ilya. I’m angry at myself and being bitchy at you.” 

“It’s understandable. I don’t mind.” 

She offered him a wry smile, “One of these days you should just up and give me a good slap or something.” 

He looked at her, shocked, “ _Sabrina! I could never-!_ ” 

She laughed, squeezing him harder, “I know, I was teasing.” 

They walked on, Julian still looking so uncomfortable she gave him another one armed squeeze. 

As they passed the small washroom, she pulled away from him, “I’m going to make a trip to the water closet. I doubt they have nice toilet facilities in a gaol, and I might not get another chance to have a wash for a few days. Be a dear and grab that second set of clothing for me from our room?” 

“Right,” he agreed, turning and heading in the opposite direction, up the little hallway that held their room. 

Sabrina slipped into the small washroom, locking the door behind her. 

The room was somewhat spacious, with two individual toilets with a divider, and two sinks. There was another room with a large bathing tub inside. Sabrina had been pleased to discover the Bolthole had hot running water, much the way the palace in Vesuvia did, although here there was a slight whisper of magic when one unstoppered the spouts. 

The walls, ceiling and floor were stone, as was just about everything else in the place. There were a few towels laid out for use, by a pile of clean ones. 

Sabrina used the toilet, then walked to the sinks, and unstoppered both the hot and cold spouts. She watched as the water flowed into the sinks, then put the stopper back into the spouts. She started to wash her hands, and idly wondered how hard it would be to do back in Vesuvia at their little apartment. Right now they had water from spouts like this, but only cold. If you wanted to bath, you had to draw it and heat it yourself. 

She washed her hands, then face and neck. 

Outside the door, she thought she heard Julian call out to her, and she answered, “Just a minute.” 

She straightened up, rubbing the back of her neck, sighing. 

Suddenly, all the color seemed to drain out of everything. The room suddenly started to spin, and again, she heard someone...several someones...calling out to her, seeking her presence. 

Reeling back, she stumbled, going down hard on her butt. She bit her tongue, pain flooding through her and a sharp taste of copper filled her mouth. 

_I’m having another seizure_ , she thought. 

She tried to call out to Julian, but remembered faintly that she had locked the door. It would take him time to get in, even if he did know what was going on. He wouldn’t know. She was going to have a seizure, all alone in here, and maybe hurt herself, and.....<

_This is how I die?_ She wondered. 

Anger suddenly flooded her. It was so unfair. It was so Goddamned _wrong_. 

She had just found Julian a year ago. Had _just_ found the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. The one she wanted to give children to someday, grow old with. Share every part of her life with. They had only had a _year_ together, and now she was going to die because of her own stupidity? Leave Julian alone? Would he fall back into his old ways of hating himself? Having no self confidence? Would he blame himself for this, in some way? 

No. No, she would _not_ let this happen. Whoever was trying to take this from her would be stopped. She was happy, and _no one_ was taking that from her. 

Sabrina closed her eyes, forcing away the spinning. If she couldn’t see the room spinning, it might be easier to concentrate. 

It was a vicious struggle. She could feel her consciousness trying to slip away from her. She would feel as if she was starting to float, to lift off from her own body, and with an angry curse, a sheer violent wrench of will, she would grab onto her physical form and slam herself back into it. 

Voices, calling for her. 

Again, fury filled her. No. She would _not_ go. She would _not_ die. She had too much to live for. She would _not_ leave Julian alone. 

The draw on her became stronger, pulling at her, threatening to pull her away from her body. Wilful, Sabrina tightened her hold on her own form, and mentally set her feet, refusing to budge. 

When the wave came again, to pull at her, to threaten to cause her body to spasm, to pull her away, she gathered her will, and drove it before her, shoving it away, violently. 

A rune formed behind her closed eyes, and there was suddenly someone else with her. Someone she didn’t know and yet...seemed familiar. Even though all this was happening, she wasn’t afraid of this other presence, it seemed like a part of her...and yet distant. 

Power surged into her form, and started to grow. 

_I will not leave. I will not._

Another surge pulled at her. Runes seemed to flash before her eyes, in the darkness, and she traced them out with her mind, and again, she forced it away from her. 

Distant sounds. So far away and unimportant. Thudding. 

_I will not go._

he lost track of time. Each time the power swelled, reaching for her, she turned it away, turning it back, diverting it so it swelled around her, but did not touch her. Runes formed in her mind, new shapes she had never seen before, designs and patterns she couldn’t have imagined at first. And the entire time, she remained aware of her body. Her body felt like it was humming, as if every drop of blood in her veins was _vibrating_. She could feel every small pit and dip in the rough stone floor beneath her, pressing into her skin. The other presence bolstered her, gave magic to her. 

More distant thudding. 

Again and again, like the surf coming in, it reached for her, and again and again, she pushed it aside. With each wave, it became easier to divert, to turn aside, until eventually, it seemed to require no effort. The runes were coming faster and faster, forming, dissolving, reforming. They almost burned into her memory, and although gone from her sight, she knew they were there, waiting to be plucked when needed. 

_I._

_Will._

_Not._

_Go._

She was still aware of her own body. Of the strange sounds. Her name, being called. 

She felt dizzy, and confused, still fighting with her body, demanding she stay aware, awake, in control. As Sabrina fought, it felt like her own awareness had lifted, and now she was floating somewhere, and yet still aware of every movement of her body lying on the stone floor. 

Slowly, the pain in her chest, in her head, seemed to lessen. She felt as if she were dropping down from someplace she had been, higher than here. As if she were floating down into her own body. 

Sabrina was suddenly, slammed back into her own body. A cry of agony was torn from her lips. It felt like a part of her she hadn’t even know about had been sliced from her soul. 

Her back ached, her head throbbed. It hurt to breathe. She was staring straight up at the rocky ceiling above her. From the corner of her eye, she could still see steam lazily drifting up from the water she had poured. 

How long had she been there? The water was still hot.... 

_“SABRINA!”_

_THUD._

She jumped, managing to just ease herself up on her elbows in time to see the door to the bathroom shudder, and then burst open, the frame cracking and giving way. Julian half fell half staggered into the room, catching himself on a chair, almost tripping over that. His gaze was wild as it focused on her lying on the floor. 

He staggered towards her, falling roughly on his knees beside her, _“Sabrina! Are you ok!? Talk to me!”_

“I’m ok,” she said, her voice croaking like a frog. She tried to say something else, but she was cut off by a barrage of questions. 

_“Why didn’t you answer me!? I’ve been trying to get in for the last five minutes! I thought something had – what happened? Why are you on the floor, are you ok? Did you have another seizure!?”_

While he was stumbling over his own words, his hands were roaming over her, feeling her forehead, her face, checking her hands for coldness, inspecting her nails, before starting to lightly squeeze her legs below the knees, _“Can you feel this? Sabrina, can you feel what I’m doing?”_

“Julian, I’m....I’m ok,” she paused a moment, before it fully sank in. 

She was fine. She felt ok. In fact, she felt great. 

_She felt great._

Sabrina started to push herself up, but Julian quickly grabbed her shoulders, “No, no no no, you stay there, you can’t move yet.” 

“Julian, I’m ok.” 

“Sabrina-” 

“No, _listen_ to me,” she took his hands, and trapped them between hers, holding them tightly. Her gaze was strong and earnest, “I’m ok. In fact, I’m better than I have been in a long time. Something just happened, and I need to talk to Asra.” 

“You can talk to him in the dungeon. I’ll carry you down-”

“No, I’m not going in a cell.” 

“Sabr-” 

“I don’t need to. Listen to me, please. I just figured out how to stop this.” 

“Sabrina, please. You just had another seizure, you need to get down to-” 

“No, I didn’t. Listen!” 

He stopped, but leaned back, biting his lip. He was upset, and trying to get her to safety, but she started to talk, “I started to have to seizure, yes. Only I was able to stop it. Go talk to Johan. He’ll tell you his spies are telling him right now the spiders are moving.” 

“You need to g-” 

Sabrina pushed off his hands, and started to climb to her feet. Julian tried to grab her again, to stop her, but she pushed him away, rising. She had a lot to do, and couldn’t let him sidetrack her. 

“I have to talk to Johan and Asra. Right now.” 

“Sabrina, please. _Please_. You need to get to the Blac-” 

She turned, leaving the washroom, striding towards where she knew Johan was likely to be. Behind her, upset and trying to force her to listen to him, Julian followed, flipping from begging her to listen to him, to trying to order her down to the dungeons where she would be safe. Sabrina moved like a powerful ship through stormy waves, strong and resolute, refusing to be stopped. 

“I need to find Johan, and talk to him. And Asra.” 

She looked over her shoulder at Julian, flashing him an almost savage grin, “I can control it now. And I feel stronger. Much stronger. 

I’m ready.” 

Julian looked at her, a sinking feeling forming in his gut. 

She found Johan still talking to a small group of magicians, making plans. He looked up and saw her striding purposefully towards him, Julian running along behind, wringing his hands, looking flustered and frustrated. 

He turned towards her, “Sabrina?” 

“Johan, listen. I can take care of the spiders. I just need to be a little closer to them. When they start moving, I need you to get me out there somewhere I can see them.” 

Johan blinked. 

Julian stepped forward, grasping her with almost shaking hands, _“No. NO. You’re not doing this, Sabrina!”_

“Yes, I am. I can do this, it’s fine. 

_“It’s not fine-”_

“What’s going on, why is everyone still up _here_?” 

Sabrina turned to see Asra, Nadia and Portia hurrying along the hallway, moving towards them. Lavender eyes were fixed on Sabrina, “We don’t have a lot of time. If those spiders start to move-” 

“I’m fine, Asra, everything’s under control.” She turned back to Johan, “Can you do it? Can you get me out there?” 

“Sabrina!” Julian cried, _“No!”_

“Out where!?” Asra asked. He stepped forward, and took Sabrina by the arm, “We need to get you down in the dungeons, now.” 

Sabrina surprised him by stepping back, yanking clear of both Julian and Asra with an irritated look on her face, “Stop pulling on me! I’m fine!” 

Julian rounded to Asra, “She wants to go out and face the spiders closer! You have to stop this! _She’ll die!_ ” 

Asra looked at her, horrified, “What? No! You’re not doing this, stop being foolish.” 

He reached for her again, “You’re coming down right now-” 

_“Stop calling me foolish!”_ she growled. 

Asra turned, looking back at her, startled. 

Sabrina lowered her face slightly, looking up at Asra through her lashes, but this was no coy glance. Her face was deadly serious, and when she spoke, her voice was low and thick. 

“I am fine. I am not going into a cage. I am not going to run away from things _I_ created. I made them, I will stop them. You are not my owner and you will not tell me what to do.” 

Already pale, Asra’s face grew slightly more white. They both remained still, each staring at the other. 

Of those there, only the magicians were aware of the magic that was moving and flowing in the room. There was almost a strange power struggle taking place. Asra was by no means attempting to force Sabrina into anything, but his magic was seeking towards her, almost probing faintly, touching, testing. As if looking for something. Signs of something. 

Sabrina’s magic was like a wall. Turning away Asra’s firmly and powerfully. It, too, wasn’t aggressive nor dangerous, but resolute. And it was strong. 

And there was a challenge. 

After a moment of silence, Nadia, Julian and Portia just watching in silence, not sure what was happening, Asra took a step back, and raised a hand, pushing his hair from his face. He turned away, closing his eyes, a look of defeat on his face. 

Julian spoke into the silence, hesitant, “S...Sabrina?” 

When she lifted her head, looking at him, her face was lit up in a wreath of a smile, almost joyous, “It’s fine, Julian, _honest_! I found a way to get around the magic using my blood. I’m ok. And I can stop the spiders.” 

Johan spoke hesitantly. He and the other magicians there almost had a strange look on their faces, as if they were half asleep. Drowsy. Fighting off the effects of...something. 

“Are you certain, Sabrina? This is your life we’re talking about.” 

“I’m positive.” 

There was a feather light touch on her shoulder, and she turned, looking back and up, into Julian’s face. He studied her in silence for a moment, then nearly whispered, _“You promised.”_

A startled look passed her face for a moment, then she turned to him, reaching up and lightly touching his face. 

“I did. And I am. I’ll be fine, Julian. Please....trust me? I can do this.” 

They stood that way, in silence, like statues for a moment. Asra remained turned away, Nadia and Portia watching, upset and feeling awkward. Johan and the other magicians looking as if they were spellstuck somehow. 

Julian swallowed, his adam’s apple bobbing, and then he nodded, still almost whispering. 

“Ok. I trust you.” 

She beamed happily, nodding. She grabbed his hands, squeezing them tightly in hers, looking like a child who had just received a long awaited gift. 

Turning back to Johan, she spoke, “Get me out there.” 

Johan glanced to Julian, then back to her, and nodded, “Alright then.” 

“I’m coming too,” Julian said. Sabrina blinked, looking back at him, “But you-” 

“The war hasn’t started yet. I’m coming with you, Sabrina. I’m giving in to you on this....you must give in to me as well.” 

She opened her mouth, then nodded, “Alright.” 

Sabrina turned back to Johan, and nodded. He nodded in reply, and turned to speak to the other magicians, to plan a portal. 

Julian watched Sabrina, a bad, cold knot in his gut. Something had happened. She was different, somehow. He couldn’t put a finger on it, but it...she....was a little different. 

He was startled out of his thoughts when Asra lightly grabbed his arm. The other magician was looking up at him with a face that was almost grey with worry and grief, pain in the lavender eyes. 

“Asr-” 

“It’s back. The thing I told you about. It’s in her magic. I can feel it, _right now. It’s back._

It’s woken up, and it’s there.” 


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slipping out, The Other, Spiders!

It didn’t take long for Julian to get ready. He made her promise he wouldn’t leave without him, and quickly returned for a few things, including managing to locate a somewhat serviceable sword and belt, before he returned to her side.

Nadia and Portia had left to help with getting the magicians ready to leave Valdeer – Portia squeezing Sabrina and Julian and forcing them both to promise to be careful. Sabrina thought she heard Julian’s ribs groan with the strength of the hug.

While Johan was talking to Sabrina about how to help prepare for the portal, Julian sought out Asra, catching him alone.

“Asra, what did you mean when you said that thing was back? That it was in her magic?”

Julian had never seen Asra look so grey. He was clearly distraught, constantly running his hands through his hair as a nervous tic. Faust had risen up from her place within his clothing and was draped around his shoulders. The little snake was looking stern, picking up on her master’s emotions and becoming protective of him. Julian made certain he didn’t get too close, not sure just how flighty the little snake was feeling.

“The presence I told you about before. It’s there. I can feel it, like a....a shadow to her magic.”

“So it _did_ come back...”

“Yes, but Ilya you don’t understand. Before, I would sense it when she was _angry_. When it woke up, temporarily opened it’s eyes to protect Sabrina. But this...it’s completely awake now, and she’s not in danger. She’s not reaching out to it, but it’s there. Alive, and....and waiting.”

Julian cast a worried glance back towards Sabrina and the other magicians, then back at Asra, “Waiting for what?”

“I...I don’t know. I don’t know what it wants.”

Julian took a step back to turn, when Asra reached out and grasped the sleeve of his shirt, “You can’t feel magic, Ilya, not well. But could you feel what happened? Just before?”

Julian fell silent for a minute, then spoke, “When you and her were fighting? No....I mean, there was tension in the air, yes. She looked very....unhappy with you...”

“Unhappy?” Asra made a sharp, bitter laugh, “She was _angry_ at me, Ilya. Or... _it_ was. I know I overstepped my bounds...sometimes I just fall back into wanting to keep her safe....I shouldn’t have said that I wouldn’t _allow_ her to do something, but....whatever it was.... _it_ took it as a _challenge_.”

Julian blinked, frowning.

Asra shook his head, “It’s hard to explain.....she was speaking, but so was _it_. Saying I had no right to tell her what to do, and that’s only fair, I _don’t_. But....it wasn’t a “stop telling me what to do” and more of a... _”who do you think you are?”_ I started reaching out to her with my magic, looking for...for it, because she wasn’t acting like Sabrina at all, and she was like a wall. My magic was just bouncing off it. I couldn’t get close. And the whole while, there was this sense of...of....” he swallowed.

Julian spoke quietly, “Asra?”

Lavender eyes met a grey gaze, and he continued, “A sense of “Try it. Just try. Do you _dare_? Are you brave enough to try?”

Asra half turned away, rubbing his arms, trying to put down the goosebumps, “I’ve never felt that before in her magic, Ilya. _Ever_.”

Julian’s gave lifted from Asra to where Sabrina was still talking to the magicians. He knew her body language to know she was excited. Eager. She was almost rocking from her heels to her toes and back, arms crossed, her whole body putting off, “Let’s get this show on the road!”

Keeping his eyes on Sabrina, he spoke quietly, “What can I do, Asra? How can I help her?”

There was a moment’s pause, and then Asra spoke, “I don’t know. Keep her calm. Keep her in control. Keep her grounded. But don’t....”

Julian looked at Asra, “Don’t...?”

Asra shook his head.

Irritated, Julian reached out, and grabbed Asra’s sleeve, pressing, “ _Don’t?_ ”

Asra looked at Julian, then away, “Don’t force her. No matter what she wants to do, Julian, don’t _force_ her to stop. She might....it might lash out at you. Hurt you. And....that will kill her.”

Julian let Asra’s sleeve go, looking back at Sabrina. She glanced his way and flashed him an eager, excited smile. He tried to return it; failed. Still looking at Sabrina, he spoke to Asra, “She won’t hurt me. She’d never hurt me.”

“She wouldn’t. _It_ might.”

“She...won’t _let_ it.”

“Ilya-”

But he was walking forward, leaving Asra behind. He moved up to stand next to her, emotions fluttering in his chest as she reached out to him, slipping an arm around him. She looked so eager for this to start...

She smiled up at him, “You look good with a sword. You should wear it more often.”

An amusing retort came to his mind, but he wasn’t entirely in the mood to be flirty and coy right now....he was worried about the whole thing.

“Right then,” he said, “Are we ready?”

She nodded.

The group walked the hallways until they came to a room that was newly cut from rock. Johan explained this one room did not have any Blackstone in it at all, and as a result, magic could be used there to extend up past the Bolthole. The problem, he explained, was that as a result, any Watchdogs on the surface would be able to sense the magic as well, and possibly make their way to the safehouse.

“So we have to be quick. Once the portal is open, we go through at once, and it closes behind us.”

The four magicians before them all turned, and linked hands. They bowed their heads and started to cast their magic. Unlike Sabrina, unlike Asra, they were casting without moving their hands, just concentrating. Julian wasn’t sure magic could be cast that way.....although Sabrina had cast magic when she was bound in chains in the Devil’s domain.

A strange sensation came over him – the hair on the nape of his neck started to prickle, to try and stand up. He felt like he was standing up in the crow’s nest of a ship and there was a thunderstorm approaching, when the Ghost lights formed around the ship's masts, burning faintly.

There was a strange rippling in the air in the area between the magicians, like heat waves rising from stones on a hot day. He had just had enough time to notice it, when there was a strange, almost faint ripping sound, and a hole appeared in the air. Through it, Julian could see a distant view of the walled city of Valdeer, as if from a hilltop. Close enough to see individuals moving along the streets, the glow from the streetlights made the city seem friendly and warm. Julian was instantly struck with a sense of homesickness for Vesuvia.

“Let’s go!” Johan plunged into the hole, appearing to step out onto the grass just outside. In the darkness, overhead, the stars were brilliant.

Julian felt Sabrina ready herself, and he moved with her, the two of them lunging through the portal. He remembered to duck at the last minute – he had a nasty image of what could possibly happen if his body went through the portal but his head missed – and then they were on the other side.

Cool night air assaulted them, the sudden darkness making them nearly blind as their eyes adjusted. There was a sweet smell of fresh air in comparison to the somewhat more stuffy smell of the Bolthole. Julian turned to see the same hole in the air behind them, this time a view of the room they had just been standing in, two of the four magicians watching them silently. As they watched, the “hole” appeared to ripple again, and then winked out.

“Er...that was _supposed_ to happen, right? We can get back again, right?” Julian asked.

Johan looked bemused, “Yes, we can.”

Sabrina was looking down into Valdeer, her eyes roaming over the layout of the city, “I don’t recognize anything. Where is Earlington’s mansion?”

“There,” Johan stepped up beside her, and pointed. Sabrina followed the line of his arm and finger, until her eyes settled on the large building. It looked as arrogant and ostentatious as he was.

Sabrina started walking forward.

“ _Whoa_ there!” Julian scrambled forward, slipping an arm around her waist, turning her until she was facing back towards Johan, “Let’s not be too hasty here. Er...what’s the plan of attack?”

“Find the spiders. Stop them,” she said, simply.

“Yes, but do we know if they’re still in the mansion?” Julian asked, looking towards Johan.

“As far as my spies have told me, yes. We need to meet up with them, find out the latest news. Follow me.”

Johan started down the slight incline of the rolling hill, making his way towards the large walled city. They only paused a second, before following down behind him. Julian kept an arm around her waist, and glanced at her as they moved. Her face was resolute and intent. She was fixed on Johan’s back and where he was leading them, her gaze occasionally flicking towards the walls of Valdeer. He couldn’t help but wonder what she was feeling, heading back towards the place she had been a prisoner for so long.

“Er...don’t...wander off, alright? On your own, I mean?”

Sabrina blinked, coming out of whatever reverie she had been in. She looked up at him, and smiled, “Don’t worry about me, Julian. I have no plans on running off and single handedly attacking an army of spiders, thank you very much.”

“Yes, well....you had no intentions on taking on that group of robbers down by the Flooded District either, if I recall correctly.”

Sabrina’s face flushed, “That was different. They were trying to rob that old lady!”

“Yes, well....considering you pushed one into the water and hit one over the head with your produce bag before I managed to catch up to you, I would say you tend to have a habit of jumping in with both feet before thinking things through.”

Sabrina snorted, amused, “Oh like _you_ can talk. _I’m_ not the one that saw that amulet in the ruins of the Singing Sands and jumped into a sand filled room to try and snag it. You’re damned lucky you’re so tall, otherwise we might not have gotten you out before you completely sank under the sand when the trap went off.”

“I got you that amulet, though, didn’t I?”

She laughed.

He leaned down, and spoke lowly, “And you look lovely in it when you’re wearing blue. And _delicious_ in it when you’re wearing nothing but.”

She laughed again, raising a hand to put over her mouth, not to alert Johan.

“You’re incorrigible.”

“And you love me for it, darling.”

“Very much so.”

They walked on a little while longer, until Johan called a halt. They stopped, quietly coming up to stand beside him.

Closer to the city now, it was easier to see the few people on the street. There were a lot of guards, trying to keep order.

From where they could just see Earlington’s place, the damage done to his estate was still visible. One of the exterior walls was in the process of being repaired, the bricks not quite the same color as the others, the upper part still not complete. One of the large storage houses had been almost completely demolished, and was just a small pile of rubble. Various piles around it, of brick, wood and stone, showed where people were recycling as much of the original building material as possible before it could be rebuilt.

Beside her, Julian spoke, his voice gleeful, “Ferdinand’s men did a good job with that distraction.”

She grinned.

“Stay here,” Johan whispered, “I see one of my men. I’m going to go see what’s up.”

“Right.”

Keeping low, Johan moved forward, and rounded a small hillock, disappearing from sight. Julian and Sabrina continued to remain where they were, crouching as well. Their eyes locked back on Earlington’s estate.

Julian’s eyes roamed the estate, taking in the personal guards that were there, the few magicians unlucky enough to have been unable to escape. Each of them now had two guards with them, and they looked even more frightened than before.

Beside her, Sabrina whispered, “Where _is_ he?”

Glancing aside to her, Julian saw Sabrina’s face was paler than normal, but very intent. Hazel eyes were locked onto the estate, moving from area to area. Both her hands were curled into fists so tightly her knuckles were white.

Reaching over, Julian took her hands, and forcefully unclenched them, sliding long fingers into hers. She blinked, looking over at him as if, for a moment, she had completely forgotten he was there. She offered him a wan smile, and he mentally cursed the Duke. Even now, having been away for so long, Sabrina was as tense as a tightly coiled spring. The fact she was still clearly frightened of him bothered him greatly.

After a few moment, Johan returned, still crouched, two others with him. A man and woman, they were dressed entirely in black, seeming to vanish into the shadows whenever they stopped moving. They made their way back to where Julian and Sabrina were crouched.

“Julian. Sabrina. My two night owls.”

Nods were shared around. Sabrina could only assume the two newcomer’s names weren’t mentioned as a method of safety.

“What are you hearing?” Johan asked.

The woman spoke first, her dark skin and fair eyes almost startling beneath the black hood, “Rumour has it Earlington is going to make his move very soon. Possibly tonight, or tomorrow. It’s unlikely to be during the day, too many of Puriew’s men to see what’s coming.”

“Not that that’s likely to cause much trouble,” the woman’s partner said. His face was completely covered by a black cloth, only two dark, almond shaped eyes visible, “Puriew will never expect Earlington’s betrayal, and the Duke has managed to bribe a good portion of Puriew’s men anyway. It’s going to be quick and savage.”

“Do you think Earlington will kill Puriew?’ Julian asked., still holding Sabrina’s hand.

“It’s impossible to say,” Johan said, “Earlington never _hated_ Puriew, just felt he was unfit to rule....or so I’ve heard,” he coughed, “If Puriew cooperates, Earlington may allow him to go into exile peacefully. If he fights back, however....”

The hooded woman spoke, “Earlington is not known for his generosity.”

“Not unless it nets him something in return,” Johan replied.

Sabrina remained staring down at the estate. It was hard to see it from this angle. She was trying to place rooms, halls and landings that she was familiar with inside, with what she could see outside. She had only managed to get short glimpses of the outside. Once when she was walking around, once the time she met Julian at the wall, and the night of the escape. From here, it looked oddly smaller than she had assumed.

In the distance, someone was calling her name.

She frowned, about to ask who it was. Who would be calling out to her....and for that matter, how did she know they were calling her? They weren’t using names, and yet it was her they sought.

Confused, feeling oddly lethargic, she was about to turn to Julian and ask, when everything seemed to slow down for her. She felt extremely heavy, like her body weighed more than a giant boulder. Her eyes fluttered, and she fought to stay awake.

_~Where?~_

_~Here~_ , she answered the seeking.

Her eyes closed, and she felt like she was sinking down into a darkness, warm and inviting. It beckoned, tempting.

Beside her, she heard someone speak her name, and then again, this time worried. And a third, frantic.

“Sabrina!?”

The other voices, the seeking ones.

_~Where?~_

Pain lanced through her head.

Gasping, her back arched, eyes opening. She stared up at the night sky, stars bristling overhead, their light as cold and distant as diamonds. Her entire body felt like it was on fire for a moment, and all she could do was breathe.

It was familiar, though. The same as what had struck her in the bathroom within the Bolthole. The runes rose up in her mind, easily, recognizable and welcome. Each wave that attempted to drag her down was easily repelled by a rune that flared in her mind. And once again, there seemed to be a presence of another there with her. It lent her it’s power....and yet it was her. Both her and not, at the same time.

Around her, she could hear chattering, voices high and concerned. One was achingly familiar to her, and she recognized the sounds of fear and stress in it’s timbre. She longed to appease it, to speak and remove the tinges of stress and fear, but her voice didn’t want to work at the moment.

After a moment, she felt her strength return to her. She could feel her body again, feel arms around her, supporting her. Eyes closed, she slid her hands along the arms, until she felt hands, and rested hers atop them.

“I’m ok,” she murmured, “Just....give me a second....”

A deep breath, and then another. The odd sense of another, of someone so familiar and yet distant, seemed to fade back, disappearing. She stilled herself, and opened her eyes.

Julian’s face was near her own, paler than normal, single eye fixated on her face. He was supporting her, one arm around her shoulders, the other around her waist. They were both kneeling on the damp cool grass.

“Sabrina?”

“I’m ok now.”

“Are you sure? Are you positive? Can you move? Are you in pain, are-”

She smiled, and weakly lifted a hand to gently press against his cheek, “I’m fine. A little weak, but fine. Help me to my feet.”

He bit his lip, not sure if she should be moving yet, but swallowed anything he might say, and stood, pulling her carefully to her feet as he did, keeping an arm around her. She brushed a hand over her face, and looked around......to see the other three looking at her, worriedly, and a little alarmed.

Sabrina felt her face go hot as she flushed, “I’m ok. Really. Just....I think Earlington activated the spiders.”

Johan spoke, “You called it. Look.”

Turning, Julian and Sabrina gazed down towards the city, where a strange river suddenly seemed to have appeared, moving from Earlington’s estate, out into the city.

It was black, this twisting mass, and seemed to glitter here and there when light hit it. It took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust, and realize it wasn’t a stream of black water, but rather a stream of mechanical spiders. Gears turned, legs extended and retracted. They looked oily and wet, their black bodies seeming to glisten.

Julian, never a fan of spiders, shuddered, “Oh, they’re _hideous_.”

Watching them, Sabrina felt an odd surge of protest within her. She wanted to say they weren’t hideous. They were actually rather beautiful, in their own way.

“Look at how they move,” she wanted to say, “Look at how _graceful_ their legs move, how easily they flow. They don’t jerk or stutter in motion. They’re lovely. They’re _beautiful_!”

She didn’t question how odd it was, that when she first saw them, her reaction had been the same as his; repulsion. A sense of wrongness. The metal and the spider didn’t seem to go together, it seemed terribly wrong.

Now, however, she felt a strange sense of.... _pride_?

At the head of the flow of the stream, a horse was trotting, white, and covered in silvered armour. It was wearing the banners of Earlington’s estate, and the man seated atop the horse, wearing his own silvered armour, was Earlington himself.

“There’s the bastard,” she grunted.

“Leading them out,” Julian agreed.

After a short while, when the length of spiders disappeared, row upon row of soldier marched. There seemed to be a lot more than the guards Earlington had in his estate, but all were well equipped for a fight. Walk along with the marching rank and file, walked others. These didn’t wear the silvered armor of the soldiers, but were well armed, sauntering along as if they didn’t have a care in the world.

“How did he get so many soldiers?” Sabrina asked.

“Mercenaries,” Julian explained, “The ones not marching in step. It’s easy to swell your ranks with them, as long as you have the coin. You don’t have to train them, they train themselves. And they’re often willing to do the more....dirty of the work, for a price.”

Sabrina looked at him, curious.

Julian glanced at her, distaste on his face, “Going through the battlefield after the fight, making sure those wounded are finished off. They’re the ones you find cutting the throats of the injured.”

Sabrina looked ill, “What price?”

Johan spoke, almost in her ear, startling her, “Whatever they can loot from the bodies, along with getting paid.”

“That’s disgusting.”

The small group remained crouched, watching, until the length of the Duke’s army finally ended. It slithered up the streets, clearly making it’s way towards Puriew’s castle.

Johan spoke lowly to Sabrina, “Can you stop the spiders?”

She studied the arachnid forms for a second, then nodded. She started to stand up, attempting to move forward, but Julian yanked her back slightly, “ _Hold on, where are you going_!?”

Sabrina looked at him, “I need to get closer.”

“Aren’t you close enough?!”

She glanced up to the spiders, then back to Julian, and shook her head. With a muffled curse, Julian rose slightly from his crouch, motioning for her to lead.

He kept her hand in his.

Sabrina in the lead, Julian almost in step with her, Johan behind them, and the two Night Owls close behind, the small group carefully picked their way down the grassy incline, moving to keep the front of the army in sight. After they crept forward for a little while, Sabrina paused, and then sank to her knees, “Here is good.”

They all lowered themselves.

Julian looked at Johan, “Once the civilians have been safely sent out of Valdeer, what are you planning on doing? Attacking Earlington? Or Puriew?”

Johan was silent, watching Earlington.

Frowning, Julian spoke, “You can’t be thinking of attacking both of them?”

Scowling, Johan looked at Julian, “Of course not. Only an idiot would try to fight a war on two fronts without an actual army.”

“Well?”

“I never got a chance to find out whether Puriew honestly hated magicians as much as Earlington did or not. If he felt the same way, or was just easily led by Earlington’s lies. The reason many people in Valdeer, the commoners, didn’t really care if Puriew took over was because the man before him was a tyrant. He killed when it pleased him, stole what he wanted, cared nothing for anyone but himself. Puriew was seen as a better chance, and in all honesty....there were people who were glad he had taken over.

Until the Crackdown.”

The small group watched as the spiders moved onto the road that would bring them closest to where they hid.

“Once that happened, all bets were off,” Johan continued. “If Puriew can see he was lied to, led astray by Earlington, he can step down and live in exile.”

Julian blinked, “ _Exile_?”

Johan scowled at the doctor, “Even if he didn’t know Earlington was lying to him about the magicians trying to take over with a coup, he should still have been able to see what the living conditions were like for all magicians, and put a stop to it. Children, wearing collars? In his own palace? No, his hands aren’t completely innocent, and he’ll not be allowed to continue to rule.

My plan is simple enough. Let them fight it out, and then we’ll take out the victor, when they’re tired and exhausted.”

Distaste swirled in Julian’s gut. While it made sense in a military fashion, it seemed.....dishonourable. Hide in the shadows while two beasts fight, then spring out and gut the victor while it’s still catching it breath.

“And say you’re victorious,” Julian said, “Let’s just say one of them kills the other, then you leap out and destroy the remainder. Who will you put in place to rule? Yourself?”

Johan cast Julian a cold grin, “I know you don’t like me, Devorak, but no. I have no desire to rule. All I want to do is search for my magic. Research. Look for the old magic that has gone missing. Seek out the artifacts that will lead me to the old magic....”

His gaze settled on Sabrina, where she crouched, motionless, her eyes on the moving army below.

“...Or the new....”

Julian’s hand tightened on Sabrina’s, and he frowned, but said nothing, looking back to her when she stirred.

“Get ready,” her voice seemed distant, almost dreamy.

Julian blinked, growing tense, “What, wait? _Now_? You’re doing something now?”

Sabrina didn’t answer. She slipped her hand from Julian’s, and suddenly standing, cast out with both hands towards the river of Earlington’s mobile army.

Down over the slope, the stream of black mechanical spiders seemed to shudder. The ones in front slowed, and then stopped completely.

The ones behind them, however, didn’t slow or stop. They ran into the ones in front. Unlike living animals, the mechanical spiders didn’t seem to realize there was anything wrong, and so didn’t slow. They just kept walking. They toppled over the ones in front, as more and more kept walking. There was soon a large jumbled pile of mechanical spiders, legs waving helplessly as they continued to make walking motions.

Julian and Johan started to laugh at the scene before them.

Sabrina, however, noticed that a small group of the spiders, about eight of them, had sheered off from the main group when they stopped walking, and stepped aside. Now they were standing motionless to the side. As she watched, one of them lifted a leg cautiously, putting it down, but didn’t move forward. It looked more like it was testing the ground before it, confused. Unsure why it was ordered to stop.

As Sabrina remained looking at them, she suddenly felt the same questioning sense of searching as before, as when she first had the seizure that night. A feeling of someone...or several someones...reaching out to her. Seeking her. Confused.

A chill went up her back when she suddenly realized they were looking for her.

They were aware.

Julian’s voice interrupted her thoughts, “Uh-oh...”

Dragging her gaze away from the huddled group of spiders, she saw the entire stream of Earlington’s mobile army had stopped, as the soldiers and mercenaries behind them had all come to a stop, looking confusedly at the jumbled mess of spiders. Earlington had ridden back, and was riding around the writhing mess of spider bits. They could hear him cursing and swearing from here. Beside her, Julian laughed again, “Not going according to his plan, is it?”

“No, it’s not,” Johan sounded as gleeful as Julian did.

Sabrina’s attention was pulled back towards the toppled spiders. They were starting to get back up, somehow getting their bearings. The small group that had sidestepped the others were still standing apart, huddled together. Sabrina received a mental burst from them; confused, alarmed, unsure, unhappy.

_~Where?~_

_~Here,~_ she answered without thinking, and gasped when she saw the small group turn as one, turning towards her direction, seeking her out. Hearing her reply.

By now some of the spiders had managed to right themselves, and Earlington was moving forward again.

Beside her, Johan suddenly ran past, heading down towards the city, “Come on!”

It only took a second before she was off, after him like a shot. She needed to get closer. Sabrina heard Julian give a cry of alarm, “Wait!” - but she kept going. If she was going to stop all this from happening, she had to get closer.

As she ran, her mind kept going back to that small group of spiders that had, seemingly, reached out towards her, asking her where she was.

Was _that_ who had been seeking her? Just before she had had her seizure....and the time in the wash room when she had fought it away, there had been a sense of someone...or several someones....seeking her out. Had it been the spiders?

But how? That would indicate they were aware. Not just mindlessly following orders given to them by Earlington or her, but actually aware.

Was that even _possible_?

Lower down on the slanting hillside now, they could just make out Earlington’s army, still moving along the streets. People that were still out past the curfew – robbers, cutpurses and the like....all slunk away to hide when Earlington rode into view on his horse, followed by his army. It wasn’t a big army, but considering it as consisting of a strike force, Sabrina figured it didn’t have to be big. Hit fast and hard and it would be enough. Not to mention the spiders.

Now a little closer, Sabrina also realized the sound the army was making. The rhythmic marching of the troops. The mechanical skitter of the metal legs. It was a chilling sound, and it gave Sabrina goosebumps.

Johan crouched slightly, Sabrina coming up alongside him and crouching as well, followed by Johan’s two spies. A few seconds later, she heard Julian join them, his hand instantly resting on her right shoulder. He seemed to want to continually be in contact with her, and she realized how uncomfortable this was for him. His worry for her health, his worry for her safety, his intense hatred for war. Keeping her eyes on Johan so she would constantly know what was going on, she nevertheless reached back and laid a hand over his on her shoulder, a physical acknowledgement of his presence, and her promise to him.

“Look,” Johan said, pointing.

Earlington had turned onto a long street, the main thoroughfare. At the far end of the street, just visible from this angle, it appeared there was a large group of people gathering. Valdeer Guard uniforms could just be made out in the low light of the streetlamps.

“Looks like someone’s finally realized something’s going on,” Julian murmured.

“They’re just guards, though,” Sabrina said, “Earlington’s men look like actual soldiers. Will they be any kind of match?”

Johan opened his mouth to speak, but Julian cut him off, “Not likely. Puriew’s probably been notified this is going on, and they’re hoping the city guards will keep him occupied until Puriew can rouse his soldiers and lead them out.”

Johan grunted in agreement, “Puriew’s been caught with his pants down.”

One of the spies spoke, “Considering how close they were, Puriew’s probably as confused as hell as to why the Duke’s marching an army down the middle of his damn city.”

They watched in silence a little longer. The guards at the end of the street were forming up, getting ready to try and repel the army. There seemed so few of them.

“Will they send in the spiders?” she asked softly.

“Unlikely,” Johan said, “He’ll probably save them for Puriew’s actual army.”

Earlington continued to march forward, leading his men. Now the spiders stopped, freezing in place, while the soldiers that had been marching behind them swung out around them, passing them, moving up.

“Odd,” one of Johan’s spies said, “Look at that little group of spiders back there. They’re not moving.”

Sabrina and the others turned, to see the small group of spiders that had detached themselves from the other group still standing apart. They hadn’t caught up to the others when they had untangled themselves, and were back a ways. Sabrina noticed, however, they had turned, and were now still looking in her direction.

Still looking at her.

“They must be broken,” Julian said, “Made it that far and now just aren’t working.”

Sabrina said nothing, just continued to look back at the little group of spiders. Very carefully, she sent out a trickle of her magic, to feel them out.

They were still alive. Still watching her. Aware of her. They weren’t exactly waiting for her to order them, but were just....waiting. For something.

They almost seemed....lost.

“What are you doing?” Johan suddenly asked her, and she realized he had been able to sense her probing towards the spiders.

“Nothing,” she said quickly, “Just making sure those spiders there weren’t a threat.”

Johan looked back to what was happening on the street. Sabrina’s eyes moved back to the spiders again, and very very subtly reached out.

The awareness met hers swiftly, _~Where?~_

The mind that met hers was so primitive. It was hard to really grasp. It didn’t seem to think like a...well, like a human. It was “speaking” in ideas rather than words. Not saying “Where are you?” but a simple almost voiceless inquiry as to her location.

Sabrina was afraid if she said where she was, they might decide to come and see her. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she wasn’t getting any sense of anger or violence from the mind. In a way, it reminded her of what a dog’s mind must be like. Simple, yet strong.

_~Stay~_ was her answer.

_~Where?~_

_~Stay.~_

It seemed...unhappy.

_~Stay.~_

“Look!” Johan’s voice cut through her thoughts, and she pulled her attention to the street.

Now the city guards were moving up towards where Earlington’s soldiers were standing in formation. It gave her a slight chill.

“Will they actually fight?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at Julian.

His face was grim, “If they’re ordered to, yes.”

She looked back, unhappy.

They watched as the two groups moved towards each other. The city guards, while seemingly impressive the first time she saw them, now seemed seriously lacking as they approached Earlington’s soldiers. Earlington’s men were wearing heavier armor, carrying what looked like larger, heavier swords.

She was angry at the city guards for enforcing unfair rules, yes, but she had a bad feeling about this. 

Earlington’s men continued to march towards the group of city guards, all in lockstep. At the far end of the street, the city guards were moving forward as well. They weren’t as perfectly synchronized as the soldiers.

Closer, and closer.

Suddenly, the soldiers stopped marching. Earlington, on his horse at the front, was yelling something to his men. She couldn’t make out what was being said, but it was clearly his voice drifting over the night air.

The soldiers in front all suddenly dropped to a knee, and reached around for something hanging on their backs under their cloaks.

Julian’s hand on her shoulder suddenly squeezed almost brutally tight, drawing a slight wince from her. Alarmed, she looked back at him. His face seemed paler than normal, either a reaction to what he was seeing or just the darkness. He had removed his eyepatch, and both grey eyes were fixed wide on what was happening below.

There was another call from Earlington, and her attention was yanked back to the street below. As she focused on what was happening, she saw all the soldiers on one knee raise something they were holding in both hands, holding it out horizontally before them.

Suddenly Julian was pulling on her, tugging her shoulder back, “Don’t look! You don’t need to see-!”

The Duke’s voice, barking something out.

There was a strange jerking motion in the arms of the soldiers, and the city guards marching in front all dropped like sacks of flour, going over like dolls. Confusion reared up in her mind. A moment later there was a sharp crack! - as the delay in sound brought the noise to their position.

Sabrina suddenly gasped in horror when she realized Earlington’s soldiers had just pulled crossbows, and dropped the first city guards with brutal efficiency.

Now she could hear screams.

“He _shot_ them!” she blurted, horrified, her mind almost being unable to grasp what she had just seen, “ _He shot them!_ ”

The city guards at the end of the street, still standing, paused, unsure, frightened. Their friends, their comrades, were writhing on the ground, screaming in pain. Some weren’t moving at all. A few bent, trying to help those wounded, but city guard captains barked orders to the men, and they straightened up again.

There was a pause, and they started forward again.

The kneeling soldiers rose, and stepped aside. Soldiers behind them stepped forward, and then those went down on their knees.

“No! What are they doing!?” Sabrina yelled, “Why are they still coming forward!?”

“They’re being ordered to,” Julian said, his voice tight, eyes still on what was happening below.

“Why? They’ll be killed!”

Julian dragged his gaze from the scene below, looking at her, “We should go back. There’s no nee-”

Behind her, there was another sharp crack! - and more screams. She flinched back, almost as if she had been struck, and started to turn back to what was going on below. Julian grabbed her shoulders, turning her back, “Don’t!”

“Julian, he’s -”

“There’s nothing you can do, don’t look!”

Around them, the normally pleasant night breeze toyed with their hair, tugging almost playfully at their clothing. Overhead, the full moon started to rise, the stars brilliant. At any other time, it would be a beautiful night.

She stared at him, wide eyed, and another crack rang out from below, behind her. More screams, some of them lasting a long time. Sabrina reached out, grasping the front of Julian’s shirt tightly, staring up at him in horror, “Why aren’t they stopping!?”

Behind her, Johan spoke, almost casually, “Because they’re buying Puriew time.”

“But they’re _dying_!”

“Yes,” he said, his voice sounding almost faintly regretful, “Yes, they are.”

Sabrina’s eyes met Julian’s, watching as his gaze moved from her face to what was going on behind her. A part of her felt foolish – she knew was war was....but this was different. The people down there weren’t soldiers. And while they may have been used to crack down on magicians, they didn’t deserve this. Their leaders, pushing them forward to die, just so Puriew could get his soldiers in place.

She didn’t expect the screaming...

Julian’s gaze was above her head, watching what was going on below. He winced, looking away, then back down to her, “Sabrina, let’s go back. There’s nothing you can do here.”

Sabrina opened her mouth to speak – just what she was going to say, she wasn’t sure, when another crack rang out, another volley of desperate screams. One of them was high and agonized, and it went on for a long time.

Before Julian’s eyes, Sabrina’s facial expression changed. The horror, the fear, the revulsion, and panic, it all seemed to suddenly drain away. Instead, a strange calm seemed to move in like a fog, and in the depths of her eyes, anger.

“You’re wrong.”

Her voice wasn’t angry. It wasn’t loud, it wasn’t threatening. It almost seemed emotionless, and yet....there was a hint of something else in there. Strength. 

She pulled back out of his grasp, rising fluidly to her feet in one smooth motion. Startled, Julian’s hands scrabbled at her, but he was unable to get a grip on anything. Johan hissed in shock when she turned, and started to stride down towards the city openly, not crouching or moving cautiously. She was clearly out in the open, lit by the full moon.

“Sabrina!” Julian cried, trying to get to his feet – his long legs almost seeming to hinder him. Beside him, Johan had already gotten to his, and was darting forward, to try and grab her.

Sabrina walked several more feet, the tall grass parting for her passing, leaving a dark line where the dew brushed away on her boots. Even before she stopped walking, she was raising her arms, bringing them out in a slightly shallow “Y” shape, hands only a little higher than her shoulders.

Johan, almost having reached her, was suddenly struck by a wave of magic so powerful it staggered him. It suddenly felt like he was running through molasses, unable to move quickly. His whole body seemed heavy and clumsy, and he shook his head, confused. He stopped, looking closely at her, trying to make out what he was seeing.

Her aura was pulsing, flickering into sight like a fitful fire, but growing in strength. The strange sluggish feeling he was experiencing.....it wasn’t even aimed at him. It almost seemed a residual effect from....something else, the way the air around a magician casting fire might grow colder, as heat was leached from the air.

There was a sense of...someone else? In her aura, it almost seemed to be there, and then not there. As if two beings were overlapping, one minute seeming like two individual entities, and then one. It was like trying to focus on a book that was jittering and jumping all over the place – a single word here and there standing out, but the rest being a jumbled mess.

There was another surge in magic, and Johan’s body felt like it was made of lead. Heavy and thick, and clumsy...it was almost a struggle to remain standing. There was also a sudden surge of desire. Sexuality that made no sense here and now, but he was assaulted with memories of past lovers, desire, and lust. He shuddered.

Julian had just reached Sabrina’s side when she casually, almost lazily, seemed to drift her hands in the direction of the city. He heard her speak a single word.

“Awaken.”

Below, Earlington’s army was moving forward again. On the far side of the street, the remaining city guard were stepping over and around the huddled bodies of the dying and slain, crossbow bolts protruding from bodies like thorns on dying roses. The screams had died down now, either because they were all dead, or their whimpers were too weak to hear at this distance.

There was a pause, as Earlington’s army started to get back into formation, when suddenly, a commotion surged up, and new screams started out, as the mass column of mechanical spiders suddenly surged into life, and turned, tearing into the ranks of the Duke’s men.

Confusion and mayhem swept through the soldiers. The very spiders that they had been marching alongside, the ones Earlington had told them were under his command, now lay into them with brutal efficiency. Blade-like mandibles began to rip and tear, long metal legs striking into the bodies of the soldiers. The soldiers began to retreat, moving back, trying to move away from the murderous spiders.

Shocked, Julian reached out, grabbing Sabrina’s shoulder, “Sabrina, stop! You’re _killing_ them!”

She didn’t move, didn’t look at him, didn’t lower her hands. When she spoke, her voice had an odd inflection to it, like it was her voice, and yet...not.

“They will not be killed if they cooperate. They are being herded, not destroyed.”

Julian looked from her, down to the scene below, and then back again, “Yes but....do _they_ know that?”

As he watched, though, he saw the mechanical spiders were, in fact, merely forcing the soldiers backwards. Legs struck, mandibles sliced, but none of the soldiers were on the ground. They struck back but couldn’t do anything against the metallic bodies of the spiders. If they didn’t want to be brutally harmed, they had no choice but to back off.

In the distance, he noticed a smaller group of the black spiders turning, and making their way off into the shadows of the city, vanishing from sight.

Down below, Earlington had realized his spiders were no longer listening to him. He turned his horse around, and was yelling, shouting, almost screaming orders at the mechanical creatures, but to no avail. Using the reins to whip at his horse’s side, he ran up and down the ranks of the spiders forcing back his soldiers, even going so far as to pull his sword and attempt to strike one of them, no to avail.

When the spiders had all rounded up the majority of the soldiers and mercenaries, encircling them to keep them in one spot, Sabrina slowly lowered her arms, still keeping an eye on the actions below.

Johan staggered up to stand beside Sabrina, peering at her closely. His face was flushed, and he seemed to be fighting something off.

Julian blinked at him, “What happened to you, are you alright?”

Johan gawked at him in silence for a moment, opening his mouth to say something....and then snapping it shut with a grunt, “You wouldn’t understand. What...what’s happened?”

Julian looked back down, “Well, it appears Sabrina tied up Earlington’s army neatly. They’re completely encircled by those spiders, and every time they try to crawl under or over, they just get picked up and dumped back into the pile. Pretty neat, if you ask me.”

“Well, at least that’s over wi-”

“I need to get closer,” Sabrina suddenly said, and without another word, started off down towards the city.

Alarmed, Julian jumped after her, flapping his hands, “Er, wait, wait. You don’t need to get closer. This is close enough, surely? Yes? Look, you can see everything from here!”

Johan, still reeling slightly from the effects he had felt, staggered along in their wake, “Why are we going closer? Sabrina?”

“I’m not sure.”

Julian blinked, growing more alarmed, “What do you mean, you’re not sure? Er....shouldn’t you be sure, before you go down there?”

She said nothing, still walking.

“Sabrina....darling...he still has other soldiers not rounded up, and those spiders...’

“The spiders are mine.”

He blinked, almost tripping over an exposed rock, “Yours? Wait, you mean...yours? As in...yours?”

“There!”

One of Johan’s spies, almost forgotten by all of them, suddenly cried out. Stopping, Julian, Johan, and Sabrina saw, coming up another street, a long line of soldiers. Marching. Their colors were different from Earlington’s, and they seemed to have better armor.

Johan spoke, “That’s Puriew’s men.”

“Right,” Julian reached out, and gently took Sabrina’s arm, “Then that’s our cue to get back.”

Sabrina didn’t say anything, didn’t move.

Stepping closer, Julian tightened his grasp, though gently, on her arm, “Sabrina. You did what you wanted. The spiders are under your control and can’t be used by Earlington. This is going to be a slaughter now, if Earlington doesn’t surrender.”

Sabrina’s eyes were on Earlington, riding back and forth on his horse. He could see Puriew’s men starting to march up the side street. A few more screams at the mechanical spiders, and he realized his ace in the hole was gone.

She couldn’t seem to look away. The figure on the horse was drawing all her attention. A part of her wanted to take the spiders and turn them on him...but she knew that was wrong. But she couldn’t get around him in her mind. What he had done to her. To others. To Julian. The joy he had taken. He had to be caught, arrested, whatever. Puriew had to find justice, and throw him in jail for what he had done.

Earlington turned, and whipping at his horse, started to run back towards his estate, away from the approaching army, fleeing.

Emotions surged up in her, anger, outrage, and fear that he might, just might, get away.

Sabrina lunged forward, tearing free from Julian’s grasp.

“What the – Sabrina, what are you do – _Sabrina!?_ ”

Her eyes were glued to the retreating figure of the Duke, anger overriding everything else. He couldn’t escape. If he got back to his estate he could stay holed up in there for months. He might be able to use magic and flee Valdeer. He would throw the remaining magicians at Puriew, ordering them to attack, letting them die, because surely Puriew wouldn’t hesitate to destroy magicians if he still believed what Earlington had told him so long ago.

He had to be stopped.

No longer able to see the people, she could see light coming through the outside wall. Perhaps it had been weakened slightly by the explosions the Redthroats had done, or perhaps it had always been there, but she saw a small gap in the outer wall.

“Sabrina, wait!”

Earlington was getting away.

She hurtled up to the wall, and not slowing a step, turned and squeezed her small frame through the gap. She heard her clothing tear slightly, scraping her arms in the process, but hardly noticing. She took a moment to look around, recognizing she was a short distance away from the exterior wall of Earlington’s estate, before taking off again.

Behind her, Julian was horrified to see her hurtling straight for the wall of the city. He kept calling out to her, but she was either actively ignoring him, or couldn’t hear him. He desperately hoped it was the latter, and not the former.

Johan was running a little behind him. Julian’s long legs were giving him some speed over the other magician, although he was astounded at just how fast Sabrina was for such a short little person.

He had a moment’s reprieve when he saw her reach the outer wall of the city, thinking that she would have to stop, and he would be able to catch up to her, grab ahold of her, get some sense into her. But to his horror, she somehow found a crack and shimmied through.

Like a mouse.

“ _Sabrina, wait! No!_ ”

He slammed to a stop at the wall, desperately looking it over. He might be able to fit through if he turned sideways and shimmied....he was slender enough, but there was no way he could fit his long frame through, unless he could somehow hover sideways.

“No..no no no no no no...”

He cursed, desperation in his voice, and grasped the bricks and stone, attempting to pull them out, to enlarge the hole. But they were in with mortar, and would not budge.

“Julian, move.”

“I have to get through!” Panic was starting to seep into his voice, into his chest. He had no idea what was on the other side of that wall....other than an army of giant mechanical spiders that may or may not actually be in her control, an army of soldiers and mercenaries, and the Duke himself, who surely must hate Sabrina for escaping.

“Move back, damnit, I’ll make room!’

“No, I have – oh.”

Backstepping a few paces, Julian watched as Johan raised his hands. He closed his eyes, and murmured something under his breath.

Julian felt heat starting to leach from the wall, and as he watched, one of the stones seemed to lean out crazily, as if drunk.

“Hurry,” Johan said, “I can’t keep this up long.”

Hesitantly, Julian reached out, expecting the stones to be hot to the touch. He discovered, however, the stones were barely warm, but the mortar was hot and soft. It were as if the stones were sitting in mud.

He started grabbing stones, yanking and tearing them from the wall, letting them tumble and fall where they may. It only took a few moments for Julian to enlarge the hole enough to scramble through, and then both he and Johan were off towards the Duke’s estate – the only place they could assume both Earlington and Sabrina were headed.

As they ran, Julian’s mind was trying to bring up every horrible thing that could happen to her. All the ways she could be hurt, or killed.

_You promised me, Sabrina. Please. You promised._


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fight or Flight; the Spiders; Julian's request

Sabrina ran along the interior part of the wall, running to where she thought Earlington would be hiding. He would most likely run back to his estate, back to his hole, to hide. He abandoned his soldiers and the mercenaries out there to the spiders and Puriew’s men. He was a coward, and deserved to be brought to justice for what he had done.

Even if Puriew didn’t consider how he treated the magicians wrong, he would still be punished for attacking the ruler of the city. But that burned. As Johan had said, even if Puriew had been lied to and foolishly believed what Earlington had told him, Puriew’s hands weren’t clean either.

If he made it back to his estate, they might never get him out. He might be able to use the magicians in there to create a portal so he could escape. And if that happened, she would never know where he was. She would always be wondering where he was.

 

Behind her, back along the path she had taken, Julian and Johan were chasing after her. They couldn’t see her, but this route was the fastest one to the Duke’s estate, and that was the only reasonable place she could be running. Julian knew with all certainty she was going after him. Would try to stop him. And although he had all faith in her magic, and knew Earlington didn’t have any magic with which to fight her, he still feared for her. He simply didn’t trust Earlington not to have something up his sleeve, and he knew there must be a deep hatred for her. That would keep him from thinking rationally.

“If Earlington gets into his estate, we’ll never get him out!” Johan was thinking the same things as the two men raced along the inner wall.

“How long did you live with him there?” Julian asked.

Johan’s voice was harsh and angry, “You’re going to lecture me on my choice of lovers _now_ , Devorak?”

“No you idiot! Are you _familiar_ with the place? Are there any secret tunnels, hidden entrances, anything we can use to get in if we have to!?”

“No, but knowing him he probably has them installed. I can probably – wait. Hold u - _wait_!”

As Julian and Johan were running, Julian noticed the light seemed a bit odd. The streetlights were brighter than they should be, and as they ran, he suddenly noticed the shadows around him moving, flaring to the left, seeming to shiver and shrink back a moment, before flaring harder to the left again. He was about to stop, to slow, to get his bearings, when he suddenly felt Johan’s hands grasp the back of his cloak and jacket, and jerk him backwards so hard he came clear off his feet, stumbling backwards, arms pinwheeling for balance.

He fell backwards, on top of Johan, who grunted in pain, and before he could respond with anger or confusion, Julian’s world exploded.

A heavy thunderous roar split the air, fire engulfing everything. The two men were literally thrown up into the air by the explosion, before crashing back down onto the broken ground, both of them crying out in shock and pain. Julian couldn’t tell what direction was up or down, left or right. The world was a rolling space of fire and confusion and more than a little fear. Continued rumblings impacted the night air.

Julian managed to roll over onto his stomach, pushing himself up onto knees and elbows, trying to pull air into his injured lungs. His back ached. His head hung, hair in his face, as he managed to finally drag hot air into his chest, eyes wide and staring at nothing. For the moment, for the here and now, he was just trying to survive. The pain in his body was intense, and he felt like he had somehow been transported from Valdeer into Hell.

He waited for the roaring sound to stop, and when it didn’t he finally raised his head, just as Johan finally stumbled to his knees beside him.

“Are you ok?” he shouted, trying to be heard over the constant, alien roaring sound.

Julian looked into Johan’s face, still confused. Johan’s face was abraded and looked somewhat burnt, blood trickling down from his cheek to disappear under his collar. Likewise his clothing was torn and filthy.

Julian tried to say something, but all he could summon was a painful croak. He swallowed, and tried again. His first attempt at words were distant sounding, and he realized dimly his ears were ringing. He tried again, raising his voice.

“What happened!?”

“Fireball! From Puriew’s soldiers! Hitting Earlington’s estate!”

Still on hands and knees, Julian raised his head, wincing at the pain in his head, looking towards Earlington’s estate.

The city street had been reduced to rubble. Entire buildings that had been standing nearby were down, bricks and wood piled in the street, where they had been thrown. Fires burned openly, some a normal red, others hissing angrily, a vivid blue. Julian’s gaze settled on one of those, and he weakly croaked, “Gas.”

“Under the streets,” Johan agreed, grasping Julian’s shoulders and helping him sit up, “I heard rumours when I was with Earlington that they wanted to find a way to tap into it. Use it for lighting the streets, bringing fire and heat into the houses, like they have in Arangia. But there were fears it was too close to the surface.”

Julian raised a hand to his face, wincing. The skin on his own face felt painful and tight, and he knew he was sporting a flash burn the same as Johan, “But what ignited it?”

“Like I said, a fireball from Puriew’s men. I saw it heading in...struck the ground, and must have managed to punch through the street far enough to hit the gas. Then everything just blew.”

There was another explosion in the distance, and both men turned to see a massive fireball rise up into the distance, illuminating the night sky.

Julian looked towards where he had last seen Sabrina, suddenly realizing where she was....where she had been.

“Oh no... _no_...”

He pushed himself up on shaky legs, and started to stagger forward. Johan rose, and grabbed his arm, “Stop.”

The doctor rounded on Johan, face white, “I have to find her!”

“Everything there is _gone_ , Julian. The entire section of street is destroyed.”

Julian said nothing, just opened his mouth, trying to find words. It was getting hard to breathe, as panic started to claw it’s way up his chest into his throat.

Johan shook his head, and pointed, “No, we have to go around. We can’t get through this way, but she might still be....she might have gotten past the area of the explosion. But we have to go this way. Can you move – were you injured?”

Julian swiftly shook his head – the world around him doubled for a second, and he staggered – but spoke, his voice wavering, “No, I’m ok. Show me. Please, show me, I don’t know...I don’t... _I...I..._ ”

Johan’s face shifted for a second, almost softening for a moment, and he nodded. Keeping a grip on Julian’s arm, he started forward, “The back street might be better – less buildings to fall. Come on.”

He led the taller, stumbling man forward, turning right on the street, planning on trying to make their way around the fallen city block.

 

Sabrina had been between one step and the next when her world exploded.

She had been taken clear off her feet as well, thrown violently forward, landing hard with a sharp cry of pain, striking her face. She saw stars. Before she had even had a chance to recover from the first blow when the second hit, knocking her flat. Stones and wood went flying around her – one small stone striking her in her shoulder hard enough to numb it, pain shooting from her shoulder down to her fingertips. Her hand spasmed in response.

Fire was everywhere. A huge wooden support beam came crashing down inches from her, blasting dirt back into her face. Thunder seemed to boom around her, and she felt it more underneath her than in the air around her.

She screamed in fear and confusion, pushing herself up and forward. She had an animal’s instinct of just running, fleeing the area.

As she moved forward, she saw entire buildings were down, bricks and stones in the streets. Fires burned everywhere, some oddly blue and hissing. She flinched back from that, and turned, staggering forward.

She weaved around debris, avoiding fire as best she could. Her arm was still numb, her face felt hot, and there was a sharp, stabbing pain in her leg. Unable to walk much farther, she hobbled to a stop, and leaned back against a fallen portion of wall. In the bright flickering light of a nearby fire, she gasped weakly to see a large sliver of wood sticking out of her thigh.

_Oh that’s not good,_ she thought weakly, shock stealing some of her panic. Although a little voice was telling her not to, there was a part of her mind telling her that shouldn’t be there, and it should probably be removed. She reached down, grasped it, and with a quick yank, jerked it out of her thigh.

The pain made he vision swim, and she grabbed onto the wall behind her, forcing herself not to pass out. Her chest heaved with her breaths, as she fought against the pain.

_Ok. Ok. I have to find him._

At least Julian wasn’t in here. In shock, that was all her mind could really accept. In her weakened, confused state, the fact Julian wasn’t with her meant he wasn’t in the city at all, and was still outside on the hillside where he was safe. At this moment, she was incapable of reasoning he would have chased her and was likely somewhere behind her, in all that fire.

Sabrina looked down at her leg, oozing blood, a small stream trickling down into her boot. Numbly, she reached up and grabbing her left sleeve, yanked. The already torn material gave way with a ripping sound, and she took a moment to tie it tightly around her thigh, to try and stem the blood.

Limping onward, she paused to try and figure out where she was.

She hadn’t seen much of Valdeer from outside Earlington’s estate, and now, at night, with so much damage, it was difficult to really place where she was.

She closed her eyes, and cast out her magic. Seeking him.

It shouldn’t be too hard. He had passed by this way not that long ago, it shouldn’t be hard to pick up on his trail.

After a few false starts, she finally managed to locate his aura.

Sabrina started forward.

It felt like a dream, surreal and confusing. While she didn’t really know the place well, she had to pick her way around obstacles. Bits of buildings, bricks and wood, fire...she was constantly forced to turn around, backtrack, pick and crawl over debris. 

Now a little more aware, a little more alert, her mind kept going to Julian more and more. Was he outside the city? She had run pell-mell down to the wall – had he chased her? More than likely....she thought she could remember hearing him chasing her, calling out to her.

Had he been able to squeeze in through that gap? As she moved, she kept trying to remember how large it had been. She had just been able to slither through....it seemed unlikely he’d be able to.

Her own voice came back to her, _“I have no plans on running off and single handedly attacking an army of spiders, thank you very much.”_

She winced. She was going to have a lot to make up to Julian for. When they got back to Vesuvia, back to their little apartment, she’d draw him a nice hot bath, get his towels and bathrobe, have evening meal ready for him...maybe some lobsters she’d beg borrow or steal from the harbour guild, some nice wine....

Sabrina was more than aware what he was going through. If only her heart didn’t run away with her feet before her brain knew what she was doing!

Sabrina came to a small area where some debris had fallen from the building across the street. Bricks, and another large, heavy support beam. Scattered on top was what looked like hunks of broken crystal from a window. She knew if she tried to climb over this she’d end up cutting her hands.

Placing her feet carefully, she reached out with her magic, letting it sink into the wooden beam before her. She carefully traced runes in the air before her – in the strange blue light of the blue fire, her fingers almost seemed to leave little streaks in the air, the rune almost remaining visible for a fraction of a second, before vanishing.

The wooden beam shifted slightly, shuddering, before jerking a few inches off the ground.

Grunting with effort, Sabrina planted her feet wider, and recopied the rune in the air before her, adding her own strength to it.

The wooden beam gave another shudder, and rose another few inches. Now hanging about two feet off the ground, she started to slide it to the side, the fragments of crystal sliding off to fall to the ground.

She almost felt a slight ghost pain in her back, as if she were moving the beam physically, and decided not to test it any further. There would be a lot of time to test the limits of her new magic back home, safely, in Vesuvia. No need to push farther than needed right now.

And she had, after all, promised.

Sliding the beam a few feet to the left, she exposed a clearer path, the ground littered with the fragments of crystal. Letting the beam fall with a thud, she brushed off her hands, and moved forward, carefully stepping over the broken crystal.

Sabrina kept moving, casting her magic out as she went, searching. She expected Earlington to have gone straight to his estate, but now, with...whatever it was that had exploded....his aura was stronger than she was expected. Perhaps he had been cut off from his estate, and was forced to take another route.

Whatever the reason, she could still sense him.

She lost track of time. It might have been hours, it might have been minutes. She climbed over debris, crawled under beams of wood, side skirted fires. In the distance she could occasionally hear yelling and screaming of orders, and when she would hear them she would stop, crouching behind something to hide, just in case anyone came close enough to see her.

Sabrina had just cleared another small obstacle course, and entered a clearing. From here on it looked relatively easy enough to navigate – the street itself was empty. It was a T-junction – straight ahead was a wall, the street branching off to the left and right. The glow of fire seemed stronger in the right one.

Sabrina had started forward, when someone stepped out from the left, appearing in her vision.

 

 

Julian and Johan made their way along the edge of the debris field. The fires still burned, hissing like angry snakes. Julian didn’t know much about using gas for fire, although he had been in a few cities that had it pumped in to use. He found it delightfully modern – fire the instant you wanted it! But the unnatural blue always sort of made him uneasy. It seemed...magical in nature, and at that time, he didn’t trust magic.

As he moved, his head cleared, and he was no longer dizzy. He had a headache, though, and guessed Johan probably did as well.

Following the shorter man, Julian realized he owed Johan a great deal of thanks. There might never be true friendship there....there would probably always be a sense of mild dislike between them, especially concerning Sabrina – despite her words, Julian still had a bad gut feeling about Johan’s potential affection for the woman – but right now, Johan had stepped up when needed. There was no way Julian would be able to find all these little back alleys and winding footpaths that were taking them around the larger blocks and barriers in their way. It would have taken hours.

And they didn’t _have_ hours.

Here and there, they would see glimpses of soldiers moving among the flames, swords out. At times it was hard to tell which side they were on. Not that it mattered. An uncollared magician and foreigner running around during what appeared to be a planned attack on Valdeer’s government? It would not end well for them.

Whenever they saw shadows, they would stop and hunch down, hiding behind whatever bit of cover they could find. They would remain hidden, peeping out, looking to see if it were Sabrina, always hiding back again with disappointment when it wasn’t.

At one point, they were making good time along a clear path, feet pounding along the grassy border of the cobblestone – the grass made it quieter to run – when Johan stopped so suddenly he almost fell over onto his own face. Julian just barely managed to keep from slamming into him, sending him sprawling.

_“Hide!”_ Johan suddenly hissed, _“Hide!”_

Looking wildly around, Julian saw a curved hedge, neatly groomed and styled, a long, low wall running behind a public bench. As Johan was looking around, Julian snagged his arm and dragged him towards the hedge. Realizing Julian’ plan, Johan dove behind the hedge, the two men crouching low, trying to steady their breath. At their feet were a few remains of gardening tools, including a portion of a heavy branch that had been removed from some tree or other.

“What are we hiding from?” Julian whispered, but Johan just shook his head. He was staring down at the ground, wide eyed, fingers gripping at the ground like he wanted to just sink down and vanish.

Moving his head slightly, Julian found a tiny gap in the hedge, and moved until he got an eye up, to peer through.

At first he didn’t see anything on the street before him. It was quiet, and dark. In the distance, you could still hear fires burning, and the occasional shouted command, but here, it was quiet.

A figure stepped out onto the street, and Julian froze.

For a second, he was confused as to why a plague doctor had suddenly appeared. Tall, dressed all in black, a black and white mask on his face, the figure hesitated at the entrance of the street, then slowly, started forward.

Julian’s hackles raised, and he felt his skin break out in goosebumps. The figure – Julian now had a good look at it. It was dressed entirely in black leather, head to toe. Where his old plague mask only covered the front of the face, this uniform included a hood, so not a single bit of the wearer was visible. The mask didn’t have a prominent beak. The sides were build up, so that the face portion was completely flat, as if cut with the finest axe. It would lie flush with a tabletop. The stylized image of a skull had been painted on it.

As the figure started forward, it almost seemed...bird like, taking cautious steps, and at one time darting it’s head forward.

_Is it smelling us!?_ He thought.

“What the hell is it?” he nearly silently whispered to Johan, who managed to croak back, “Watchdog.”

Julian looked at Johan, realizing the other man was crouching, and was clearly distraught. He realized hiding was the only thing Johan could do – rumour had it magic couldn’t work against them.

Julian bit his lip, looking back to the Watchdog, now closer.

He took a deep breath, “Right. When I break, wait until it’s after me, then run.”

Johan’s head shot up, eyes wide, “What!?” he whispered, alarmed, “Don’t!”

“I don’t use magic,” Julian whispered back, keeping an eye on the approaching Watchdog, “It can’t hurt me.”

“They have weapons!” Johan hissed, “Daggers, other things. Don’t be an idiot.”

“He doesn’t look like he could _lift_ a dagger.”

“Devorak, for God’s sake, just shut up and let it pass!”

Julian looked back at him, “There’s nothing you can do against it? At all?”

Johan shook his head, “They can smell out magic, and can _repel_ it!”

Mentally cursing, Julian crouched down a little lower, and watched.

The odd creature continued to do it’s strange stutter-walk down the street, flat face turning this way and that, and as it got closer, Julian was disgusted to hear it making snuffling, sniffling sounds. Either sick with a head cold, or it was sniffing out magic.

He watched, hands in fists, as it got closer and closer to the hedge, and then passed it. From where he sat, Julian was able to keep it in site as it passed the hedge, doing it’s herky-jerky step. Crouched back on to it, Johan’s gaze was riveted to Julian’s face, trying to read from the other man what was happening. When the Watchdog passed, Julian met Johan’s gaze, and gave a silent nod.

Johan closed his eyes, and silently let out his held breath in relief.

Behind him, Julian saw the Watchdog freeze.

Eyes widening, Julian never got a chance to give Johan any kind of warning before the slender leather-bound creature turned and lunged at him, both hands out, skinny fingers hooked and reaching.

“Move!” he shouted, rocking back slightly onto his butt, and bringing up both legs. He drove them both forward in a powerhouse kick, sinking his boots into the stomach of the Watchdog, staggering it back several steps, fighting to get it’s balance.

Johan bolted forwards, and was in mid step when the Watchdog straightened, recovering from Julian’s attack in seconds, and was after Johan, arms out again.

Scrambling to his feet, Julian reached out and grabbed the Watchdog by his leather coat, attempting to pull it off balance. It was unpleasantly thin, it should be easy enough to push around.

The Watchdog, unable to reach Johan, seemed to turn within the leather clothing, and struck a fist out at Julian, striking him in the face with a powerful blow.

Julian reeled back, clamping both hands over his face – his nose instantly feeling hot and heavy – pain lancing straight through his face. A muffled curse was expelled through the fingers.

The Watchdog now turned his attention back to Johan, and was on him in seconds. Grunting in disgust, Johan balled his fists, attempting to land strikes on the disturbing person. The Watchdog, however, seemed as if he was made of rubber, seemingly able to bend unnaturally and dodge Johan’s swings.

The Watchdog reached for Johan’s face.

Julian had recovered, and lunged forward, grasping the back of the Watchdog’s leather clothing again, not pausing long enough to give it a chance to counter attack. He planted his feet, and yanked with everything he had, hoping to just drag him off his feet, give them a few extra minutes to get organized, make a plan.

“Blast it with your magic!”

“I said they can _repel_ it!”

Once again, the Watchdog seemed to swivel inside his clothing, and raising a leg, slammed his knee into Julian’s stomach. Julian’s breath went with a whoosh, and he staggered, one hand to his gut, eyes wide. Before he could respond in any other manner, the Watchdog brought his leg up again, slamming his knee into Julian’s forehead. Julian’s head rocked back, and he staggered, dizzy and dazed, blood spilling from split skin into his eyes. He fell back onto his ass, holding his face, dazed.

Before Johan was able to do anything for Julian, the Watchdog had swivelled once again, and was on him. Both hands lashed out, leathery fingers wrapping around his throat, and starting to squeeze.

Desperate, Johan attempted to blast the Watchdog away with a powerful spell, but it seemed to split and divide, swerving around on either side to trickle away into nothingness. Cursing, gasping for air, Johan raised his own hands, and grabbed the Watchdog’s wrists, trying to pull them away, trying to break it’s grasp.

But the hands were like iron bands, immovable, and the fingers continued to tighten. Johan knew what was coming – he had heard about it often enough. Subdue the magician. If the magician was physically strong, do whatever it took to knock them out, then apply a collar.

Fear lunged up into his heart, and he bared his teeth like an animal. He struck out at the Watchdog’s face, but his fists only seemed to glance harmlessly off the strange flat mask. Black lifeless eyes seemed to mock him as Johan’s hands scrabbled uselessly against the leather body, the hard wooden mask. All around him, color started to leave the world, and he could no longer make his hands do what he wanted them to do. 

He felt his legs start to give way.

In the strange, twisting, grey world he was now seeing, a tall shadow seemed to fall over the wraith-like form of the Watchdog, and something large and heavy slammed into the side of the black and white mask.

The Watchdog toppled, hands falling away from Johan’s neck. It hit the ground, and lay still.

Johan staggered back, taking huge whooping breaths into lungs screaming for air. He wobbled, dizzy, hands wrapped around his own burning throat. Raising his head, he stared, shocked, through his bangs...

...at Julian, who stood there, blood trickling from both temple and nose, teeth bared, holding the sheared off leafless branch in both hands, hair wild and hanging crazily in his face.

_“Can’t repel a branch upside their heads, can they!?”_ he snarled, chest heaving.

Johan stood, gasping, wheezing, staring at Julian, also gasping and panting, the two of them looking like wild men from another time, one of them still holding what looked like a wooden club, glaring down on his vanquished enemy, out cold.

Johan started to laugh, wincing as pain lanced through his neck.

Julian glanced at Johan for a second, still holding the branch like he expected the Watchdog to leap up at any time and attack, before he gaze a faint chuckle, and dropped it beside the unconscious Watchdog.

“We need to find Sabrina.”

“Right. Come on...”

The two men turned, and staggered on into the dark, their voices drifting behind them.

“My throat is killing me.”

“I think my nose is broken.”

“Big deal.”

“It is when your nose is a full third of your face!”

 

Wary, Sabrina remained where she was, squinting to look at the newcomer through the smoke and fire.

At first she thought it was Julian, but how had he gotten in front of her, and...why was he wearing his plague mask?

Then another stepped out beside the first, and Sabrina got her first good look at them.

They were so unnatural. So oddly thin – almost gaunt. Dressed all in leather, even a hood, and that horrible mask.

She felt icy fingers tingle up her spine, and took a step back, instinctively not trusting them, not liking them, wanting nothing to do with them.

As one, they turned, and seemed to look right at her.

The icy fingers tingling up her spine suddenly clutched at her spine.

_Oh. No. No no no, this..no. I want no part of this._

She had no idea what they were, but her entire body was screaming danger. She turned, and started back the way she had come, hoping to disappear into the shadows of the fire.

After several steps, she turned, looking over her shoulder.

They had closed half the distance.

Without making a sound, Sabrina turned and took off.

Her feet flew over the ground, feeling like they weren’t even touching at times. She lunged over fallen debris, vaulted rubble, darting around open fires, all the while trying to keep as much between her and them as possible.

She was in full flight when she felt hands grab her arms, and suddenly she was flying.

Sabrina went careening sideways, coming clear off her feet, slamming into a remaining wall hard enough to see stars. Her head impacted with a sickening thud, and she pushed off to her feet, wobbling for a moment. She couldn’t seem to get her feet working for a second or two.

Lifting her head, she saw the two figures – now standing beside her, their dead masks staring flatly at her, and fear filled her throat. Had they just been normal looking people it would have been just as frightening. She had hard of Watchdogs, had an idea of what they were about, but had never seen one.

Sabrina pushed off from the wall, lunging away from the two of them.

She had only managed to take a few steps when hands closed on her again, once more throwing her violently off balance.

Sabrina wasn’t skinny, nor weak, but at 5’2” she wasn’t an imposing figure, and it was easy to push her about.

She went stumbling to her hands her knees, skinning them both on the uneven ground, tearing the skin on her palms. She cried out in pain, but fear had a stronger grip on her, and she was already trying to jerk to her feet.

Hands grasped her hair, jerking her head back violently.

Frightened, Sabrina called up her magic to her, and let it go, broiling towards them...

...where it parted around them both easily, like smoke around a tree. She actually felt her magic wane and die out, useless.

The one holding her by the hair, twisted, and throwing his weight to one side, Sabrina was brutally thrown into the same wall again. This time the stars doubled, and she heard a whining sound, her ears ringing.

She cried out, frightened, unable even to get her feet under her long enough to try to run. The two Watchdogs were taking turns throwing her about like a rag doll. Just when she would almost be up on her feet, the other one would come in and grab her.

She cast her magic at them again. It was useless, but it was an automatic response. She had no other weapons. When one of the Watchdogs grabbed her, she turned, striking out at his face with her fist. But her knuckles just cracked painfully off the wooden mask.

Just when she thought she was about to get up and run, she felt herself thrown down to the ground, hard. Pebbles and rocks gouged into her back, pulling a pain filled cry from her throat. Before she could even start to try to push herself up, one of the Watchdogs grabbed her by the shoulders, and pinned her to the ground.

Starting to struggle, cursing, Sabrina suddenly saw the second approaching her, with a leather looking collar in his hands.

Panic and terror exploded inside her, and she tripled her attempts to break free. She kicked her legs free, and planted her feet, trying to push, arching her back to try and dislodge the one now sitting atop her. Sabrina screamed, and bucked.

The second Watchdog knelt beside her shoulder, and leaned down to put on the collar.

Screaming again, she wrapped her hands around her own throat, to try and block it, to try and make a barrier, too thick to encircle.

_“No! No! Get off me, no!”_

The one sitting atop her let go of her shoulders, and now grabbed her wrists, starting to pry away her hands. Her own fingers left red marks as they struggled. 

She screamed, sobbing, “No! No! Please, no. Please! Get off me! Help me! Help me! Julian! _Julian!!_ ”

The Watchdog cursed, leaning in closer to snap the collar together, when he suddenly arched, making horrible gurgling sounds.

Blood seemed to explode out through the flat mask he was wearing, a thin, high pitched, gargling scream following. The front of a black blade burst through his chest, tearing and ripping through the leather.

The second Watchdog let Sabrina go, rearing back in shock. He fell backwards, onto his ass, and started crab crawling away from Sabrina, away from the other Watchdog’s now-limp body, as one, and then two, three, four, and then five large mechanical spiders seemed to appear from the shadows. One was lowering the Watchdog’s body, where it was impaled on it’s mandibles. 

The body slid from the blade like mandibles to thud lifeless onto the ground.

Sabrina pushed herself up onto her hands and feet, then up again, backing up swiftly as the spider in the front now turned, moving towards the remaining Watchdog.

The leather clad man attempted to cast magic, but it seemed as ineffective towards them as Sabrina’s had been towards him. When he realized magic wasn’t going to do anything, the Watchdog turned, preparing to run.

But the spider gave him no chance. It lunged forward, it’s mandible sinking deep into the back of the Watchdog. The man arched his back, screaming a long wail, before he too, slowly sank off the blade to the ground, lifeless.

Sabrina was back as far as she could get, her back to the remaining wall, her arms around herself. Blood matted the left side of her head and hair where she had struck the wall a few times. The back of her shirt was ripped, bloodied bare skin visible through it.

Her eyes were huge and frightened as she peered through her hair as the spiders all turned as one, and seemed to be watching her with their blackstone eyes.

There was silence. No one moved. Just the crackling of the nearby fires, distant shouts.

Sabrina didn’t know if she dared try to move. The only thing keeping her alive right now was being inactive.

The silence, the immobility, remained for a few more minutes, until she felt a thought touch her mind.

_~Here?~_

It was the same mind that had touched her outside the city, she knew that. It was hard picking out features about it – it was speaking in her mind – but it was familiar. And as before....intelligent, but so _alien._

_~I don’t...understand.~_

There was silence for a moment. Sabrina had the strange feeling that they were all talking to each other privately. Deciding things. Working out how to say what they wanted to say.

Eventually, the one spoke again.

_~You wish us here?~_

Sabrina realized with shock they were asking her for directions.

_~I...~_

What could she say? They weren’t needed for anything. If they stayed she had no idea what might happen to them. How were they even aware still? There was no longer a draw on her blood, she could feel that. But they were still active.

_~How are you moving? How are you here?~_

Silence. The carious minds, analyzing what she said, what she was asking, how to respond.

_~Light.~_

Sabrina squinted, confused. Her head hurt.

_~Light?~_

The large mechanical spider, the one that seemed to be the spokesperson, turned, and lifting a leg, pointed towards the various fires burning around them.

_~Light. Little light. Little life. Big light better. Big life.~_

Her head ache pulsed, and she raised a hand, rubbing her temples. She could feel bumps forming there, _~Big light?~_

The spider raised it’s leg again, pointing towards the sky, _~Big light. Little big light. Big big light.~_

Silence.

Sabrina frowned, and suddenly realized with a shock they were talking about the sun. And the moon. They were able to pull energy from the sun and moon? How?

~How? How life from little big light and big big light?~

~Eyes.~

The spider seemed to lower the front part of it’s body, the small blackstone eyes pointing at her.

_Oh my God. Blackstone can hold light energy. It’s powering them. They have a viable functioning power source!_

But that was impossible...wasn’t it? Could s rock hold energy from light? From the sun? She wished Julian were there....he’d know more about this than she would. He’d understand it better....

_~Leave?~_

She was brought out of her thoughts by the spider, still looking at her.

_~Leave? What do you mean?~_

_~We leave?~_

She took a slight step back, _~You can leave if you want, yes. I won’t stop you.~_

Silence. Spiders talking to spiders.

_~You come with?~_

Sabrina looked around. The area they were in was still abandoned, but for how long? The fires were starting to go out in places, except for the strange blue ones. In the distance, there were still yells, howls of fighting.

_~I...I can’t.~_

Silence.

_~You creator. We stay? You tell.~_

Sabrina squinted again, shaking her head. She didn’t understand. What were they trying to s-

_....~You creator~...._

_Oh. Oh, they...they think I made them. That I...they see me as their...their...mother. Creator. Oh my God._

_~I...~_

They waited.

She wracked her mind trying to think of what to tell them....what to do with them. A part of her was going to tell them to stay there, and she’d...take them apart? Let others take them apart? How would they react to that? Aggressively, she imagined. Things alive generally didn’t want to stop being alive.

But another part of her couldn’t help but look at them as...living things. Maybe they had the right to keep existing. It was hard to know what to do, because these things only came into existence not that long ago, and it had been her that had made them. By accident. Did they have a _right_ to exist?

But the more she thought of it, the more she felt that...despite their creation...they were here now. They _did_ exist. And they _were_ self aware. They weren’t like bugs, and even bugs would run and try to survive.

And...they were.... _hers._

As she stood there, looking at them, she couldn’t help but feel a strange sort of pride in them. Look at them. They were smart. They were talking and communicating with each other. They could think, and reason. They came to her rescue.

They were lovely.

_~You have to go,~_ she said quickly, _~It’s dangerous for you here. You must leave.~_

They seemed to be alarmed. Concerned. Confused.

_~Danger? Leave? Where? Lead us?~_

_~I can’t lead you. You must do this on your own. Go far away from here. Find a safe place. Away from humans.~_

Unhappiness. Sadness. Sorrow.

_~Lead.~_

_~I can’t. There are things I must do here. Our paths go separate ways now. But you must go far away from humans. You mustn’t hurt them, unless they are trying to destroy you, and only hurt them enough to escape. If you hurt them, if you kill them, they will hunt you.~_

The spiders drew back slightly, seeming to talk among themselves again. Discussing. Trying to made sense of what she was telling them.

They clearly wanted her to lead them. She was their creator, and they wanted to follow. But she couldn’t.

And she was proud of them. And wanted them safe.

The spider that seemed to be the leader of the little group, finally spoke.

_~We leave. Go far. Away. Away from humans. Live away.~_

Sabrina smiled, relief sliding through her, _~Yes. Yes, good. Go far. Be free. Be happy.~_

She tried not to flinch when the spider raised a long, metallic leg, and lightly touched her shoulder with the tip, a hard, sharpened point that could easily have run her through if it so desired.

_~Creator be careful. Creator come to us one day.~_

Before she was able to speak, after the initial caress, the spider turned, and as one, they all moved off the street into the shadows again. It was frightening how easily they seemed to vanish, even walking quieter than the other, non-aware spiders had moved.

After a few seconds, she could no longer see them, and gave a quiet sigh. A quick look around to make sure the Watchdogs were still out cold, and she turned, darting forward again, moving among the rubble.

 

“Get down!”

Johan grabbed Julian by the arm, and nearly yanked the taller man off his feet, pulling him around a portion of a fallen wall. They crouched, trying to keep hidden.

“What is it now!?” Julian hissed, clenching his hands into fists. He was getting more and more irritated, frantic and worried. It was starting to feel like there was an honest attempt by....someone or something...to keep him from finding Sabrina. Every time he thought he was getting close, or would finally turn a corner and find her, something else came up.

“Soldiers,” Johan crouched, peering through a small crack in the wall.

A hissing blue flame was jutting from the ground, making it hard to hear, but after a few minutes, Julian could hear running footsteps. He sat with his back against the fallen wall, eyes on Johan as the other man watched.

He took a moment to slip off his glove and lightly touch his face, wincing. His skin still felt hot and tight. He would be sporting a flash burn, he decided. Usually only seen by people handling oils, it would take a while to disappear.

The pounding footsteps got louder, and he hunched his long frame down as much as possible, tensing up as they literally ran past him down the street, five of them, carrying swords in their hands. They never once looked back.

The two men stayed where they were for a moment, trying to catch their breath. They ached and their lungs burned from running and breathing smoky damp air. The strange lighting from the fires, especially the blue ones, were threatening headaches.

Julian rested his head back against the wall with a thump, closing his eyes.

A bright flash caused him to jump, opening them again. Johan and Julian gawked at each other for a moment, unsure of what had happened.

There was a heavy rumble overhead, sounding like something else had exploded, or was falling. The two men looked around, frightened, on edge.

Something cold and wet struck Julian’s face.

It was followed by another....and then another....and suddenly the sky opened up, a sudden, hissing downpour that reduced visibility to about ten feet at most.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Johan howled, and rolled to his feet. He started out around the wall at a run.

Cursing, Julian followed him, not knowing where they were going, but blindly following.

About ten steps more, and Julian saw Johan duck into a small alleyway, the buildings on both sides cracked but still standing. One of the buildings had fancy eaves running the length of the roof, and they flared out over the alley, offering some shelter. Both men scrambled in, leaning back against a wall, staying under the eave.

Julian and Johan gawked at each other, and started to laugh.

“God damn,” Johan grunted, trying to squeeze the water out of his hair, “This night is insane.”

Julian’s leathers kept him dryer, but his hair was drenched and dripping. He squeezed his curls as best as possible, removing his gloves again to gently wipe the water from his face. It was cold and wet, and made his hot dry face feel a little better.

“This whole thing has been insane. Sabrina and I were just enjoying our lives before Earlington decided to show up and ruin everything.”

Johan fell silent for a moment, then spoke, “If you don’t mind me asking...how did the two of you meet?”

Julian felt instantly on guard, eyeing the other man closely. While Sabrina had made it perfectly clear how she felt about him, and about Johan, and had warned him off making any comments about his and her relationship....he still had an uneasy feeling Johan was interested in her. The comment he had made earlier, about seeking out the new magic...it gave him a faint alarmed feeling in his spine.

Again, Julian thought about how he had had to deal with the fear she might find someone better and leave. His jealousy was never strong, not the sort of jealousy that was “Mine!” or aggressive. It was always based more on fear she would just find someone better...someone more...stable. He knew he was still ....his emotions were still unstable at times, and he worried about that....but this was a strange sort of unease, regarding Johan. His interest in Sabrina set off weird alarms in his head that he didn’t understand. His interest in Sabrina almost seemed....to Julian... _unnatural_ , and yet he couldn’t put his finger on _why_. He knew Johan would never hurt her...at least...he thought he wouldn’t....

Johan caught the guarded, wary look, and attempted to put Julian at ease, “I’m just curious. Science and magic....it’s strange the two of you even met, let alone came to have feelings for each other.”

“It’s not feelings, it’s love. We’re in love with each other,” Julian pressed, feeling irritated.

“Whatever.”

Julian grunted, “It’s a long story. Suffice to say, we ..... ran into each other.”

“And has she always had this powerful magic? Does she...does she practice? Or does it come naturally? These runes she mentioned-”

Julian tugged on his gloves, “As far as I know, yes. She has. And yes, she practices. Especially when she gets something new...scrolls or books. I can’t tell you about the runes....they’re hers and hers alone. No one can tell you about the runes. Only she can.”

Johan fell silent, thinking.

“We need to get moving-”

“Not in this. I’m sorry, Julian, but we won’t hear her at all, and will have trouble seeing her. We’ll move as soon as it gets lighter. When you say practice, does she have her own place? A room, perhaps, with her things in it?”

Julian watched Johan closely, still feeling uneasy.

“No. We don’t have room. She has one corner of the living room, I have a corner of the kitchen. The apartment is small.”

Johan was looking out into the rain, a distant look on his face, as if he was imagining something, “What does it look like? Her corner? Books, I suppose, and scrolls all over the place. Writing tools....”

Julian narrowed his eyes. Now alarms were growing stronger, and he still didn’t know why. Johan wasn’t asking him to describe Sabrina’s small clothes, but there was a strange sense of....asking something personal. He knew nothing about magic...maybe what Johan was asking was improper? Asking about a magician’s set up. It was a world he knew little about. And while Julian was getting better at pushing away any uneasy feelings he had, assuming it was just unnecessary paranoia, this was something he wouldn’t just ignore.

In his own mind, he could see her little corner so clearly. There was a large table there, pushed against the wall. Shelves had been added to the wall above it, to hold smaller, delicate things. The table was wooden, and a circle had been carved into it, with a pentagram overlaying it. She had explained to him that was a basic set up for creating spells if needed, and things could be added onto it as necessary.

There were a lot of books on the table, laying atop the circle, to be removed if needed. A small inkwell and quill were set up, along with some very nice parchment – a gift from Julian himself when he had seen she was using cheaper paper that tore and snagged the quill’s tip sometimes. There were a few crystals scattered here and there – Julian had no idea if they were ever used for anything or were just for decoration, and he never asked.

Sabrina was shockingly shy about her magic, even to him. She hated being watched when she was learning a new spell or trying something complicated. At first he had thought she simply didn’t like being watched in case she failed – a normal feeling – but he soon realized she was actually shy about it. As if performing new magic made her naked somehow, wary and unsure. Oddly, he found it extremely endearing, and despite enjoying watching her work, when she was working on a new spell, he made certain to be at his own desk in the kitchen, or even sitting back on to her, reading. He had offered to hang a curtain for her, so she could actually be hidden from sight, if it would make her feel better, but she laughed, saying it would just be something she’d get tangled up in and end up strangling herself. But she thanked him for being understanding. And he just nodded.

Julian knew all about being unsure of oneself.

His own desk had been pushed into a corner of the kitchen. Where the kitchen actually turned into the living room, was more accurate. He had his own small window where he could look out onto the street, and it received evening light. His own books were scattered here and there, laying in piles under the desk, letter from colleagues in other countries piled here and there. There was almost always an empty coffee cup sitting on or near the desk.

Some nights he would sit there, after dark, a lit lantern over head, writing letters or reading them. Looking up things in his books. Like Julian with Sabrina, Sabrina would leave him be if he had a certain look to his face, deeply concentrating on something. But often he would call her to him, asking her advice on wording, or even the advice of a woman on something pertaining to women’s health. Sometimes she’d surprise him by slipping up behind him when he was writing and would slide her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder, and read what he was writing. Sometimes she’d bring him something to eat, once going so far as to pluck the quill from his fingers when he was still scribbling furiously at midnight. She had known it was pointless to get him to go to bed when that worked up over something, so she kidnapped his quill long enough to force him to eat a sandwich and drink some tea, before she kissed his forehead and relinquished the quill, slipping up to bed.

“Books, and scrolls, yes. Same as on any magician’s desk.”

“A bowl of water, crystals...”

Julian had been about to answer yes, at least for the crystals, when that strange sense of alarm went up his spine again, only this time he understood what Johan was doing.

Trying to get an image of Sabrina’s set up in his mind. A bowl of water, or crystals....for communication. When magicians wanted to communicate long distances, as far as Julian understood it, they could imagine a person or their set up, and then try to talk to them through water or anything clear like a crystal. Asra excelled at it, especially using water.

Keeping his voice neutral, Julian spoke, “No. I’ve never seen anything like that on her desk. Just scrolls and books.”

Johan looked disappointed, just nodded.

_You keep away from her,_ Julian thought, _you’re bad news. I don’t care who says what, even Sabrina...you put these thoughts of fighting into her head, you’re pushing her to things she shouldn’t be doing, and you’re showing way too much attention even after she made it clear how she feels._

_Stay away._

Johan leaned out, looking up into the night sky, “It’s slacked off some...probably as much as it’s going to, for now. Ready?”

Julian nodded, “Lead the way.”

 

Sabrina kept moving forwards, trying now to keep her magic lowered as much as possible. She didn’t want to encounter any more Watchdogs. She had been lucky with the spiders around...next time one might succeed in getting another collar around her.

She was moving through the rubble when she heard running footsteps. She darted forward behind a toppled sign, and hunched down. It was terrible cover, but when the soldiers came into sight, she realized they weren’t looking for people here. Whatever was going on, they were in full flight, weapons out, and in a hurry. They blasted past her without a glance, and were gone in seconds. She waited a few moments to be sure they weren’t coming back, and then hesitantly got to her feet, moving forward again.

There was a sudden flash of lightning, a heavy roll of thunder, and the skies opened up.

Sabrina looked around for some shelter, but saw none. All she could do was press herself up against a fallen wall, head down, and wait. The cold rainwater felt good on her skin and numbed her injuries some, but it trickled down her back and made her shiver.

She stayed there for a few minutes, before it finally lessened, and she was able to go forward again.

Limping, her head starting to pound, she pushed on.

The fires had gone out, thanks to the rain, only those few burning under some form of cover remaining, and the strange blue ones. The light they gave off had a similar, weird blue cast to it, and shadows looked darker than normal. It made her shudder, feeling oddly lost in a strange world.

She paused, leaning against a fallen piece of rubble, trying to catch her breath, when she heard a shockingly familiar voice, cold, cruel and arrogant.

“Well, well, well. Look what we have here.”

Sabrina’s heart exploded into a stuttering tempo, and she pushed off the wall, her fight or flight response kicking in. She very nearly ran from the area, blindly, stuttering back from the wall a second before she was able to grasp her fear response and strangle it back, forcing herself to turn, to look to see where he was.  
Earlington.

Her heart still pounding, her gaze swept over the area, seeking, searching, already making plans on how to attack, to defend, to keep her distance, what to use if he had a weapon...

Her eyes fell on him, and she stilled.

Earlington lay on the ground on his chest, only visible from the waist up. One arm lay back along his side, unable to move from the large amount of brick and wooden rubble that lay atop him. Behind him, she could just see the back quarters of his horse, lying still under the same debris, unmoving. There was a heavy gouge atop Earlington’s head, the blood matted in his hair now soaked by the rain and running freely again. His other arm was free, the tips of his fingers bloody from where he had been trying to dig himself out. Blood had dried on his upper lip from his nose.

Still skittish, her body still ready to take off running should he show any signs of being able to free himself, Sabrina moved forward a step, staring at him, almost disbelieving.

Earlington spoke again. Now she could hear his voice was strained, his breathing somewhat difficult.

“My little magician, come back to me at last. The little bitch that turned on me. _Betrayed_ me.”

Incredulity filled her, and she stared at him as if unable to believe what she was hearing, “Betrayed you!? You kidnapped me! You forced me to do your bidding! I never betrayed you because I was never on your side!”

Earlington’s face suddenly twisted in hate, darkening, “You bitch! I would have given you everything! But you lied! You told me you were making those spiders mine, but you lied! You lied!! You took them from me, and now Puriew’s men are hunting me!”

“You did that to yourself!”

His free arm suddenly shot out towards her, hand grasping. Sabrina darted back, even though there was at least seven feet between them. Earlington’s hand twisted and grasped at her, as if pure will alone could force her to come to him, to come within reach...

After a second, he realized his folly, and let his hand fall. He chuckled, as if it were all a joke, the rage on his face suddenly disappearing, vanishing as if never there, and Sabrina suddenly realized just how insane he was, how unhinged.

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll get out of this, as soon as my men find me. And when they do, this city will see a war like nothing before, believe me. They’re already looking for me.”

Sabrina took a deep, steadying breath, trying to calm herself. His arrogance, his cruelty...she drew her magic to her, almost unknowingly, ready to use it as a shield, if necessary. The rain continued to fall, soaking her. Her hair hung almost straight with the weight of the water in her curls.

Earlington’s gaze dropped from her face to her hands, and his face split into a grin, “Ahhh, yes. Your magic. It’s yours now, isn’t it? You can feel the power. And you feel the anger. The hatred. You want to lash out at me, don’t you?

Go ahead. It will feel good.”

Sabrina took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Yes, it would feel good. To strike back at him. But that wasn’t what it was about. He needed justice, not revenge.

She spoke slowly, making sure her words were clear, and not trembling, “I should. For what you did to me. To Julian. But I won’t. Valdeer will have justice.”

Emotions passed over Earlington’s face; anger, fury, and fear. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it again. His eyes darted around, as if looking for a way to escape, but there was nothing.

After a moment, his face suddenly cleared, and he looked back at her again, that same cruel smile on his face.

“You don’t think you’re going to get away with this, do you? My men are crawling all over this place. They’re going to catch you, and your lover. Then they’ll free me, and oh, the fun I’ll have.”

“You-”

“You, I’ll just chain up in my new estate, to do what I want you to do. That’s simple enough.

But Devorak...oh, the fun I’ll have with _him_.”

Sabrina stirred, “Don’t you dare tal-”

“What I did before will be so simple, so elegant. A few punches, a little stabby stabby? Ppft. No, I have much more in mind for him now.

I’ll take that red eye. He already wears an eyepatch, why not make it actually necessary. A nice hot poker will take that out quite nicely.

But he cost me money, you know. He pretended he was going to be my doctor, and I’d get some wages from him. That’s hardly fair, is it?”

Sabrina opened her mouth, anger starting to grow, but he continued on, his voice arrogant and cruel.

“I’ll just hand him around to my men. Anyone who wants him can have him, for a price. I’m sure a tall, educated doctor like him will bring in a pretty penny. Some of my men have more....aggressive...kinks, but as a doctor, I’m sure he can heal himself up in between sessions. If not, I still have a few magician healers that can do that.”

Fury was starting to blossom in her chest. A cold, empty rage was starting to kindle deep inside her, after the horror that had formed grew too strong. As Earlington spoke, her fear, her horror had engulfed her, and now a strange sort of laziness had stolen over her, replaced by a quietly growing rage. It almost felt detached from her, as if it were coming from outside, and yet it was her anger.

“Once everyone grow tired of him, I’ll give him to my own doctors who can practice on him. They have to start somewhere, right? I’ll get them to remove that horrible nose first, slice it back a few inches, maybe see if I was right about the removal of finge-”

Earlington’s voice suddenly faltered and died as his throat closed off. His eyes widened for a second, as he tried to draw in air, only making weak, gasping, whistling sounds as the air attempted to move down a throat no wider than a daisy stem. As he continued to struggle and gasp, his face darkened, growing redder and redder.

Sabrina spoke, her own voice cold and hard, and oddly hollow, “You had best stop speaking.”

Earlington kept weakly gasping, eyes locked on hers, though there was no look of fear. Just a desperation, almost eager.

Around them, the rain faltered slightly, then slacked off, a few lonely raindrops plinking down here and there, and suddenly, in the silence left, a voice, calling out in the near distance, familiar and desperate.

“Sabrina!”

Something flickered in her eyes, a faint twitch of her fingers, and suddenly Earlington was taking in huge gasps of air, sucking them down like fine wine, even though there was a disappointed look on his face.

Again, in the distance, growing a little closer, _“Sabrina! Can you hear me?”_

Her hands curled into fists.

Earlington swallowed, then hissed, “Hurry. You know you want this. Don’t be a coward, bitch. Think of everything I’ve done to you. What I did to him. What I’ll do to him if I catch him!”

Emotions warred inside her. The words he said...what he threatened to do to Julian....she could feel the rage still there, just under the surface, wanting to rise....but again, his voice, now starting to move away, still desperate, calling her name.

“Hurry, and do it!” Earlington hissed, “No one will know!”

Sabrina wet her lips, and closed her eyes, tipping her head back, raising her voice, calling out, “Here! Julian! I’m here!”

“Bitch! You bitch!”

Julian called out, closer, “Again! Call again! I can’t find you!”

“Here! Oh, here! I’m...” she looked around, ignoring Earlington’s hissed curses, looking for a landmark, something to give a location, anything. Looking up and up, she only now realized there was a bell tower beside them, the tower having slanted in the explosion, the bell hanging crazily.

“..I’m by a bell tower!”

There was a moment of silence, then he called again, “I’m coming! Don’t move!”

Earlington hissed in fury, and started to struggle. He desperately tried to push away the rubble pinning him, but it was useless.

He turned his fury at her again, “I’ll make him scream! When my men catch him, I’ll make him regret ever being born! I’ll have my men disfigure him so badly children will scream when they see him! I’ll send you a gift, what do you want? His nose? Fingers? Penis? Maybe I’ll just surprise you! I’ll make him rue the day he ever met you! He’ll curse your name with his dying breath, you bitch!”

The fury rose back up around her, like a soft, warm blanket, never really having left. Her magic swelled up around her fingertips, eager to be cast out, to destroy, to maim, to kill....

“Sabrina!” running footsteps, coming up behind her.

“Wait! Devorak, wait!”

Earlington and Sabrina had locked eyes. His were cold and eager, staring, challenging, arrogant and hateful.. Hers were cold and distant, and something almost glowing way down in their depths.

Neither moved.

 

Julian and Johan had been moving through the rubble when the magician suddenly stopped. Julian turned to him, to ask what was wrong, when Johan blurted, “She’s near.”

Julian blinked, moving forward to stand before Johan, “What?”

“She’s near. Her magical aura is fresh and strong. She’s near here.”

Julian looked around, desperate. After a second, he called out her name, casting it out into the darkness.

“Julian, shut up!” Johan hissed, “The soldiers!”

“Hang the soldiers, I need to find her! You said she was near!”

He called out her name again, calling to her, and after a moment, his heart soared when she called in return.

But her voice was bouncing off the fallen walls and piled rubble. It echoed around, making it impossible to seek a direction.

When she called out where she was, he looked to Johan, and the other man nodded, “This way, come on!”

They ran around rubble, leapt debris and dodged fire as much as possible. The fires now put out made it much easier to move, and when they rounded a corner, Julian’s heart leapt when he saw her, standing there in the light of blue flame, and he ran towards her.

He had only taken a few steps when Johan suddenly grabbed his arm, trying to yank him to a stop. Cursing, Julian tried to shake him off, but Johan was strong, and he shook Julian.

“Her magic, Julian...”

Looking from Johan to Sabrina, and back again, Julian shook his head, “I don’t understand what you’re...”

They heard another voice speak, and both men were covered in goosebumps.

Earlington. They couldn’t hear what was being said, but the voice was clear enough.

Johan spoke again, “Be careful, Julian. Her magic is...I’ve never seen magic that strong. I...don’t know what will happen if you just run up there and....”

Julian looked towards Sabrina, and nodded. The two men stepped forward.

They could see now that Earlington was there, trapped beneath the rubble. Sabrina still hadn’t moved, was standing there, like a statue.

This close, even Julian could feel the magic coming off her. It was like the air around her was vibrating slightly, making his skin almost tingle. Julian glanced at Johan, and blinked to see that same strange expression on the other man’s face that he had seen when Sabrina had first contacted the spiders. Slightly dazed. Drowsy.

He spoke, “She’s going to kill him.” His voice was oddly dreamy, as if he wasn’t all the way awake.

Julian blinked, alarmed, “Wait, what?”

“Sabrina. She’s gathering her magic. She’s going to kill Earlington. He's trying to make her angry enough to kill him."

Julian looked from Johan to Sabrina, unsure. Emotions waged inside him, not the least of which was fear. Everything was going wrong so quickly, and he didn’t know what to do.

Licking his lips nervously, he started forward, when Johan stirred enough to grab his arm.

“Don’t. She’ll turn it on you.”

Julian looked at him, then back to Sabrina again. He shook his head, and pulled away, “She won’t hurt me. She’d never hurt me.”

Swallowing, Julian slowly made his way up towards Sabrina and Earlington. He approached from a slight distance, trying to stay in Sabrina’s peripheral vision, so he wouldn’t startle her.

As he got closer, he could feel her magic getting stronger, and stronger. It was giving him goosebumps, an unpleasant feeling.

As he came to stand alongside her, he opened his mouth to speak, but Earlington’s eyes darted to Julian, and he spoke first.

“Ah, here he is! Just in time! Devorak, I was just telling Sabrina my plans for you! Would you like to hear them?”

Wrinkling his nose in distaste, Julian was about to speak, when he felt the unpleasant sensation intensify, now the hairs on the back of his neck and arms raising. It felt like lightning was going to strike.

He turned his attention away from Earlington, and looked at Sabrina.

She almost seemed to be glowing faintly....or it was a trick of the light from the blue flames. She seemed...paler than normal, and yet it was like she had a light inside her. It was very difficult to tell just what was going on.

Except that look. 

There was a look of utter revulsion on Sabrina’s face, anger, and a strange sort of regal disappointment. As if she were a queen looking down at a subject who had incurred her wrath. As if it went beyond something personal.

Julian cleared his throat, and spoke, trying to make his tone as steady and normal as possible.

“Sabrina? Darling?”

For a moment, there was no reply, no response. Sabrina didn’t move, didn’t even blink. He was about to repeat himself when she spoke, her voice oddly distant sounding.

“I hear you.”

Julian took a deep steadying breath, and spoke again, “We....we need to get back now. It’s over. He’s trapped.”

Another long silence. When she didn’t respond, Julian tried again.

“What...what are you doing?”

“He need to be punished.”

Julian stirred. The rain had passed, his hair still wet, curls thick and hanging. His eyes roamed over her face, her body, and he stirred.

“Oh Sabrina. You’re _hurt_.”

His hands fluttered towards her, like white birds unable to land, caught between a desire to start seeing to her wounds, and not sure if he was allowed to touch her right now.

“Let me see to those. Please? They...they need to be treated, darling. _Please_.”

Again, no reply. Julian was aware of what felt like a faint struggle coming from her, a push and pull, a tugging, but that made no sense to him.

“Just get on with it,” Earlington suddenly said, “You know you want to, you bitch, so do it. Finish me. I dare you, you coward!”

Julian stared at Earlington for a moment, unable to speak. Behind him, Johan spoke, in that same dreamy voice, “He’d rather die than face justice.”

“You! You bastard! You piece of trash! I should have killed you when I had the chance!”

Johan said nothing.

Julian swallowed hard, suddenly realizing what was going on. There was a war inside Sabrina....herself and this..other, that Asra spoke of. And it wanted to kill Earlington.

Julian stood there, conflicted. What he had put Sabrina through...what he had put so many others through....did he deserve death? Perhaps, but...should _Sabrina_ be the one to do it? If it was to be justice, it should be given by the government, but...would Puriew do it? And he was afraid...because he knew...he knew what it would mean...

He swallowed again, and took a step towards her, now standing by her side. He spoke, voice quiet.

“Sabrina?”

Nothing. No answer.

He reached out a hand towards her, shaking, then dropped it. He didn’t want to startle her....she might be hurt. Hesitantly, he reached out towards her hand. His hand trembling, he lightly touched the back of her hand with the fingertip of his middle finger. His voice was soft, gentle, but slightly strained.

“Darling? Do you remember how we met?”

There was a pause. He thought she wasn’t going to respond, and he started to despair, wondering how to try to reach her. When she spoke, her voice still sounded distant.

“The Rowdy Raven.”

He smiled, a faint, trembling smile, and cleared his throat gently, “Not where, love, _how_. _Why_ we met? Do you remember?”

Another long pause. A frown formed on her face, a faint wrinkling between her eyebrows.

Julian spoke again, “I was convicted of murder....remember?”

Silence.

He spoke gently, “Sabrina, this isn’t something you want to do. Please.”

Now she stirred, and spoke, her voice sounding....strange. Not quite entirely her, but closer.

“That was different.”

He took it as a good sign, and pressed on, “How?”

“You were upset because you thought you killed someone out of cold blood. This isn’t cold blood. This is justice.”

Julian spoke gently, “Justice from one person is revenge, Sabrina. And....you’re right. It’s not cold blood, but....I _know_ you, darling.”

Silence.

He pressed on, “Sabrina....when I fled Vesuvia....what I went through. Thinking I had killed someone. It _wears_ on you. And I...I don’t want you going through that. Everytime you look in a mirror, you’re always meeting your eyes and wondering if it’s the eyes of a killer.”

“Justice.”

Growing bolder, praying he was right, his fingers moved, sliding around to lightly touch her palm, not exactly holding her hand, but making more contact.

“But I _know_ you, Sabrina. If you do this....it might not bother you at first. You’ll feel justified. That what you did was right. But as time goes on, you’ll start to wonder if you’re capable of doing it again. Can you? Could you kill someone again? Every time you look in a mirror you’ll wonder if there’s a dark spot on your soul. A dark spot that might grow. Were you right, in what you did? What if you _weren’t_?”

He smiled weakly, a faint laugh, “Darling, you once got angry at a market clerk for overcharging you for produce then worried yourself sick all night because you weren’t sure if he actually tried to swindle you or not, and you ended up going out the next day to apologize.

But this....Sabrina...you can’t come back and apologize. If you do this, you can’t undo it.

I...I don’t want to see you suffer like I did. Always wondering, starting to dislike, then maybe even _hate_...please. Darling, please. Don’t do this.”

Earlington was trying to form words, his mouth was working. But either he was too angry to do it properly, or Sabrina had somehow turned off his ability to talk. His face was red with anger, and he looked like he was trying to scream insults and threats. But there was only silence.

"Sabrina.... _please_."

There was a long pause. She didn’t move, didn’t speak, and just when Julian started to despair he hadn’t gotten through to her, she spoke. Her voice was hers again, but hurt, and frightened.

“He said he’d hurt you,” her voice warbled as she fought off emotions, “the horrible things he said he’d do to you!”

Julian offered her a wavering smile, trying to fight back his own emotions at seeing her back to normal, her voice Sabrina’s again, the horrible strange sense of a battle now gone, “He says a lot of things. Most of them are lies.”

She tried to laugh – it came out as a weak half sob. He moved forward, sliding his arms around her, holding her tightly towards him.

“I want to go home,” she said weakly against his chest, “Just go home.”

“Yes,” he agreed, his voice rough, “Let’s go home.”

 

_Epilogue_

The civil war ended that night. Puriew was outraged that Earlington had attempted a coup, and he was arrested and thrown in jail. He was given the death penalty, but it kept getting put off due to technicalities.

Puriew agreed to meet with Johan, and peace talks started. There were demands that Puriew stand down, but he refused. There was a great deal of evidence Puriew was suffering from dementia, and so rule was handed over to his grandson. Colbane had been raised out of Valdeer, and did not particularly want the job of ruling, but agreed to rule while a new constitution was hammered out. It wasn’t what the magicians of Valdeer wanted, but it was a start.

Few magicians remained in Valdeer once freed. The majority had no desire to stay behind, especially as long as a descendant of Puriew remained on the throne. The majority of them settled down in their new countries, finding new lives. As Sabrina had predicted, many of them needed a great deal of help in dealing with the trauma in their lives.

Despite his claims, Johan remained in Valdeer and entered politics. This was possibly the only reason any magicians remained in Valdeer at all; the promise Johan would make good for the people of Valdeer.

There was a lot of push back from various civilians of Valdeer. Some liked the new ruler and were glad to have fresh blood in the city, others liked the old ways, the closed culture of the city. The old ways do not die easily.

Matilda and her family moved to Vesuvia and settled there, starting up a little business of their own. Matilda took on an apprentice of her own, teaching the magical art of healing. Her son was invited to work at a nearby college. A year later Matilda became a grandmother.

The small group returned to Vesuvia to try and pick up their lives. Both Muriel and Mazelinka were extremely unhappy not even knowing why everyone vanished, the latter in particular angry she wasn’t invited along on the adventure.

Nadia set up a subsection of Vesuvian politics that deal with refugees, and with Asra’s help, started looking into possibly creating a school for magician children like the one in the Bolthole. They weren’t sure how much interest they might get, but they were willing to try.

Asra now had a waiting list for people interested in having him teach their children. He found new and exciting ways of turning them down. The twins were more than enough.

Portia returned to her job, but wrote daily to people she had befriended in Valdeer.

Julian and Sabrina tried to return to their lives as well. The first thing that happened upon return to Vesuvia, Sabrina came down with a terrible cold from being drenched during the Night of Blue Fires as it came to be called. She was forced to spend a week in bed. While it annoyed the hell out of her, Julian was quite content to look after her, tending to the injuries she had gotten as well. Just knowing she was home, in her own bed and safe relaxed him. Things had been so strained for so long, just being in their own little home was like heaven.

The theatre was repaired. The garden was expanded. The clinic had new furniture put in.

Their relationship had changed slightly. It was evident her magic was changing, and that worried Julian some, but he knew he just had to deal with it. At least she was no longer accidentally setting fires to things.

After they returned, the first time Julian had awoken in a sweat, memories of the battlefield hospital in his mind, he had decided to try and talk to her about it. It hadn’t gone well, and he broke down and wept, at one point his memories of his trauma becoming so severe he almost tried to bolt from the bed to run, somewhere, anywhere. His whole body screaming to run, to flee. But she had clung to him, not letting him run, letting him work it out, letting him weep, until finally he passed out from pure exhaustion, sleeping so long and so deeply she started to grow frightened.

His nightmares started to lessen, after that. It had been a breaking point. He had realized that talking to Sabrina about it wasn’t going to instantly drag her down into the depths of despair, nor make her look at him as weak or useless. He was able to talk about it more, and while he still had bad days and certain things would bring back the nightmares, he seemed to be able to deal with them a little better. Sabrina discovered his use of alcohol, and in return, coffee, slacked off to a degree.

Despite wanting to remain anonymous, Sabrina’s name got out, and she often found herself being contacted by people who wanted her help, wanted to talk to her, wanted her to teach them her runes, or just wanted to announce themselves as fans. She found herself growing more alarmed at this, and Julian started running interference for her. The normally quiet, nervous doctor had an astonishing strength of will when it came to keeping people away from Sabrina when he knew she needed privacy, and he could be quite aggressive when needed, one time literally manhandling someone right out the door of the shop.

They both grew closer, and their bonds strengthened.

And it was good....for their adventures were not yet over.

_END_

 

Note: Thank you for reading the first of the Runecaller series! I will be starting the second installment in a few weeks!


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